LATEST ADDITIONS  08/29/2015

DVD
BOB DYLAN

COMPACT DISCS
LAVERN BAKER

JOHNNY COPELAND
THE DELMORE BROTHERS
BO DIDDLEY
PAUL EVANS
THE FANTASTIC FOUR
THE FLAIRS
HOWLIN' WOLF
LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO
ASA MARTIN

SKEETS MCDONALD
BUCK OWENS
ANDY PARKER & THE PLAINSMEN
OTIS RUSH
CARL SMITH
SWAMP DOGG
TARHEEL SLIM
IKE & TINA TURNER
RITCHIE VALENS
VARIOUS ARTISTS
EDDIE "CLEANHEAD" VINSON
TONY JOE WHITE
CLARENCE WILLIAMS


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Since our Second Time Around listings are so popular this list includes some great releases which have been out for a while but you may have missed them the first time we listed them.To avoid you getting possible duplicates we have added  asterisks (**) after these particular titles. We have also included some choice sale items.

DVD

 
BOB DYLAN Paramount 31054 No Direction Home** ● DVD $14.98
Two DVDs, 207 mins, color and black & white, essential We don't list Bob Dylan too often but that's not because we don't love him - particularly his early recordings. This release is really something special presenting a biography of Bob's early years from his birth in Hibbing, Minnesota through his scuffling years on the New York folk scene, his emergence as a great songwriter and the turmoil and rejection engendered when he shifted direction into a more rock oriented style resulting in him becoming frustrated and bitter. Skillfully directed by one of America's greatest filmmakers Martin Scorsese with most of the narration by Bob himself with commentary from friends and associates like Alan Ginsburg, Maria Muldaur, Joan Baez, former girl friend Susie Rotolo, Mark Spoelstra and other. It is illustrated with copious vintage photographs, film clips, home movies, rare recordings and more. Interspersed with the early footage is footage from the controversial tour of England in 1966. These performnces have a savagery that seem to be an outlet for his anger at the treatment he is receiving - some of the questions and comments from reporters set my teeth on edge. The movie reminds one, if one needs reminding, what an incredible performer he was, how much he had to say, how wll he said it and how well it resonates today. Even if you saw the show on PBS it's worth repeated viewing and includes several bonuses seven full length performances recorded between 1963 and 1966 including particularly compelling renditions of Man Of Constant Sorrow and Mr. Tambourine Man. There are also guest performances by Mavis Staples, Liam Clancy and others plus an unusual promotional spot for Positively 4th Street with Dylan doing some embarrassing lip synching! (FS)

 

COMPACT DISCS

 
LAVERN BAKER Acrobat 9048 The Complete Singles As & Bs, 1949-1962 ● CD $19.98
3 CDs, 71 tracks, essential
LaVern Baker was one of the seminal female R&B singers of the 50's and early 60's, who was just as much a pop and rock 'n' roll singer as an R&B one. This 3 disc set-like similar Acrobat releases by the Everly Brothers, the Platters, and the Falcons-seeks to be the definitive statement for this artist, cataloging all the material that made her reputation. To that end, the collection includes every A and B side she released from her debut side in 1949 to her last Top 50 entry in 1962. Sure, the set can't help but include classics cut during her tenure at Atlantic (starting 1953) - Jim Dandy/ Tweedle-Dee/ Play it Fair/ I Cried a Tear/ Jim Dandy Got Married, and Bop-Ting-a-Ling, for starters-but it also covers her pre-Atlantic years; making her first recordings with Eddie "SugarMan" Penigar's Orchestra, recording under the aliases Little Miss Sharecropper as a solo and Bea Baker with Maurice King & His Wolverines, and finally as LaVern Baker with the Todd Rhodes Orchestra. With an excellent booklet chockfull of information on recording details and history, this is the LaVern Baker collection that fans have been waiting for. (GMC)
BEA BAKER: Good Daddy/ I Want A Lavender Cadillac/ Make It Good/ LAVERN BAKER: A Help-Each-Other Romance/ Bop-Ting-A-Ling/ Bumble Bee/ Dix-A-Billy/ Don Juan/ Fee Fee Fi Fo Fum/ For Love of You/ Get Up Get Up (You Sleepyhead)/ Harbor Lights/ Hey, Memphis/ How Can You Leave A Man Like This'/ How Often/ Humpty Dumpty Heart/ Hurtin' Inside/ I Can't Hold Out Any Longer/ I Can't Love You Enough/ I Cried A Tear/ I Didn't Know I Was Crying/ I Waited Too Long/ I'll Never Be Free/ I'll Still Do The Same (For You)/ I'm Living My Life For You/ If You Love Me/ It's So Fine/ Jim Dandy/ Jim Dandy Got Married/ Learning To Love/ Lost Child/ Love Me Right/ Lucky Old Sun/ Manana/ Miracles/ Must I Cry Again/ My Happiness Forever/ My Time Will Come/ No Love So True/ Pig Latin Blues/ Play It Fair/ Saved/ See See Rider/ Set My Soul On Fire/ Shadows Of Love/ Shake A Hand/ So High, So Low/ St. Louis Blues/ Still/ Substitute/ That's All I Need/ The Game Of Love/ The Story Of My Love/ Tiny Tim/ Tomorrow Night/ Tra-La-La/ Trying/ Tweedlee Dee/ Voodoo Voodoo/ Wheel(s) of Fortune/ Whipper Snapper/ Why, Baby, Why'/ You're Teasing Me/ You're The Boss/ LITTLE MISS SHARECROPPER: Easy Baby/ I Wonder Baby/ MISS SHARECROPPER: How Long/ I Want To Rock/ I've Tried/ Take Out Some Time

 
JOHNNY COPELAND Fuel 61594 An Introduction To Johnny Copeland ● CD $13.98 $8.98
16 tracks, recommended
Before he became an international blues star in the 1980s, gravel voiced Texas singer and guitarist had recorded a slew of singles for many labels - often for small Texas labels starting in 1958. This fine collection presents a small selection of those sides recorded for various small Houston labels in the 1960s. Material is varied and ranges from some superb and powerful blues to Down On Bending Knee/ Mama Told Me and Working Man Blues with ferocious vocals and tough guitar to the soul sound of Please Let Me Know/ I Need You Now/ May The Best Man Win and an excellent two part rendition of Ray Charles' Night Time Is The Right Time. Johnny gets to show his guitar chops on the fine guitar/ sax instrumental Late Hours. There are several forgettable songs but on the whole this is a worthwhile introduction to an exceiting bluesman. Includes informative notes by Bill Dahl. (FS)

 
THE DELMORE BROTHERS Ace CDCHD 1074 Fifty Miles To Travel - The King & Deluxe Acetate Series** ● CD $18.98
24 tracks, 68 mins, essential
Ace's latest in their series of reissues drawn from original King acetates is another killer featuring the wonderful music of the Delmore Brothers. Although Ace now has access to the original cleaner sounding acetates they have stayed clear of duplications with their previous Delmore reissue (Ace 455 - "Freight Train Boogie" - $18.98) with the exception of their biggest hit Blues Stay Away From Me. They have also included a previously unissued alternate take of that song which is quite close to the issued version though not as good. The rest of the set is a wonderful blend of blues, boogie, straight country, traditional songs and a spiritual recorded for King between 1945 and 1950 - most of it making it's first appearance on CD and those issued before never sounding this good. The earliest cuts features just the brothers and their guitars while later sides feature great accompaniments from harmonica player Wayne Raney, guitarist Zeb Turner and others. There are three utterly superb previously unissued songs - the title song plus (When I'm Gone) Don't talk About Me and the western swing flavored Leavin' Town - the latter with hot guitar from Turner. Stunning sound and informative, if somewhat convulted, notes by Tony Rounce round out another essential package. (FS)
THE DELMORE BROTHERS: (When I'm Gone) Don't Talk About Me/ Barnyard Boogie/ Blues Stay Away from Me/ Blues Stay Away from Me/ Born to Be Blue/ Dis Train Am Bound for Glory/ Down Home Boogie/ Fast Express/ Fifty Miles to Travel/ Give Me Your Hand/ I Let the Freight Train Carry Me On/ I Won't Be Worried Long/ Leavin' Town/ Let Conscience Be Your Guide/ Long Journey Home/ Midnite Special/ Mississippi Shore/ My Heart Will Be Cryin'/ Red River Valley/ Shame on Me/ Somebody Else's Darling/ Stop That Boogie/ Waitin for That Train/ Why Did You Leave Me, Dear

 
BO DIDDLEY Hoodoo 263437 Bo Diddley & Company/ Bo Diddley's A Twister ... Plus ● CD $12.98
30 tracks, 79 mins, essential
Unlike so many of his contemporaries, Bo Diddley didn't flame out after his first few years of success; instead, he kept putting out consistently great albums throughout the 1960s. This compiles two of those albums, "Bo Diddley's A Twister" and "Bo Diddley & Company," both from 1962 and released on Checker records. "Bo Diddley & Company" is the first album to feature the great Norma-Jean Wofford, aka "The Duchess," a fantastic performer who would accompany Bo live and on record for the next few years. "Bo Diddley's A Twister" is a cash in on the Twist craze, but only features one Twist song - "The Twister," recorded two years earlier-otherwise it's just classic Bo Diddley for you to Twist to if you are so inclined. There are many highlights from both albums, some of my favorites include: Diana/ Bo's A Lumber Jack/ Put The Shoes On Willie/ Doin' The Jaguar, and of course Who Do You Love/ Road Runner/ Hey, Bo Diddley, and Hush Your Mouth, Diddley classics all. CD also includes four bonus tracks recorded in the same period: Oh Yeah (aka Oh Yes)/ I'm Hungry/ Watusi Bounce, and All Together. All this is lovingly assembled with entertaining liner notes that even include a feature on Bo Diddley's guitar tuning technique. (JM)

 
PAUL EVANS Ace CDCHD 1367 Folk Songs Of Many Lands/ 21 Years In A Tennessee Jail ● CD $18.98 $11.98
30 tracks, 73 mins, recommended
Paul Evans was definitely on the Pop end of the Folk spectrum, but he had some good tracks. This collection re-issues two of Evans's 1960s albums in their entirety, plus a bonus track of his excellent 1960 version of Leadbelly's Midnight Special. Features extensive liner notes written by Paul Evans himself. (FS)
PAUL EVANS: Allentown Jail/ Another Town, Another Jail/ Betty And Dupree's Blues/ British Grenadiers/ Buckeye Jim/ Colorado Trail/ Columbus Stockade Blues/ Crucified My Lord/ Golden Vanity/ I Got Stripes/ In The Jail House Now/ John Hardy/ Kevin Barry/ Los Quatro Generales/ Marie, Marie/ Midnite Special/ Mister Hangman/ Ninety Nine Years/ Passing Through/ Pig And The Inebriate/ Poor Boy/ Prisoner's Song/ Samuel Hall/ Shackles And Chains/ The Bomb/ Twenty One Years/ Tzena Tzena/ Wayfarin' Stranger/ Wearing Of The Green/ Wee Cooper O'Fife

 
THE FANTASTIC FOUR Kent CDTOP 434 The Lost Motown Album + Bonus Tracks From The Vaults ● CD $21.98
25 tracks, highly recommended
When it comes to Motown R&B, we all know about their most famous artists - but then there are the second and third string acts that one may or may not know about; some second tier acts - Martha & the Vandellas, the Marvelettes, Gladys Knight & the Pips-are well remembered, but others such as the Contours might not come to mind as easily. As for the third tier; if names like Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers, Kim Weston, the Velvelettes, Brenda Holloway, and Jimmy Ruffin mean anything to you, then you are well ahead of the average music fan. And it is one of the third string artists that Kent pays tribute to on this collection, The Fantastic Four. Stolen away from Ed Wingate's rival Golden World empire, the Fantastic Four went from hit makers with their former label to obscurity during the two years and some change they languished on Motown's Soul subsidiary. This CD contains all but one of the tracks they recorded for Motown between December 1968 and March 1971, including a complete LP, "How Sweet He Is," which had been due for release in late 1970 or early 1971, but was cancelled at the last minute. Coming off like a cross between the Four Tops and the Temptations and handed off to Motown second string writer/producers like Berry Gordy's brother George and his writing partner Allen Story, Jack Goga, Clay McMurray and Bobby Taylor, it's no wonder that the Fantastic Four got lost in the shuffle. Still, some beautiful performances managed to come through on Take Him Back if it Makes You Happy/ If This World Were Mine, a cover of the Beatles' We Can Work it Out, On the Brighter Side of a Blue World, and You Turn Me Around to name a few. As for the thirteen bonus tracks - ten of which are previously unreleased - Pin Point it Down/ I've Found My Goal/ I'm Still a Struggling Man, and Forgive My Jealousy are my picks to click and should have never been sealed away in the vaults. Perhaps the Fantastic Four were too similar to Motown's bigger stars to have broken outside of Detroit, but the music contained herein will provide much listening pleasure to Motown soul fans. (GMC)

 
THE FLAIRS Ace CDCHD 1023 The Ultimate Flairs Featuring Richard Berry** ● CD $18.98
29 tracks, 76 mins, highly recommended
A great collection of rockers and ballads from this superb Los Angeles group whose initial line up featured the triple threat of Richard Berry, Cornell Gunter and Young Jessie! Includes tracks issued as by The Hunters, The Whips (the jury is still out as to whether this is actually the Flairs but the two songs here are great), The Five Hearts (only Richard Berry from the Flairs is on these), The Chimes, Rams and Young Jessie. Superb sound and informative notes from Gordon Skadberg. (FS)
THE CHIMES: Love Me, Love Me, Love Me/ My Heart's Crying For You/ THE FIVE HEARTS: Please Please Baby/ The Fine One/ THE FLAIRS: (Why Do) I Love You/ Baby Wants/ Gettin' High/ Hold Me, Thrill Me, Chill Me/ I Had A Love/ I Want You To Be Mine/ I'll Never Let You Go/ Let's Make With Some Love/ Love Me Girl/ My Darling, My Sweet/ Real Good Lovin' Man/ She Loves To Dance/ She Wants To Rock/ Tell Me You Love Me/ Tell Me You're Mine/ This Is The Night For Love/ You Should Care For Me/ You Were Untrue/ THE HUNTERS: Down At Hayden's/ Rabbit On A Log/ THE RAMS: Rock Bottom/ Sweet Thing/ THE WHIPS: Pleadin' Heart/ She Done Me Wrong/ YOUNG JESSIE: Lonesome Desert

 
HOWLIN' WOLF Rockbeat 3312 Killing Floor - Live 1964 & 1973 ● CD $19.98
Two CDs, 20 tracks, recommended
Howlin' Wolf was such a great artist it's a shame that he hasn't been better served with live recordings and this set, while not bad, is no exception. Disc one features a live show recorded in Germany in 1964 during one of the American Folk Blues Festival tours and has been reissued before several times. Wolf is accompanied by the great Hubert Sumlin on guitar with Sunnyland Slim, Willie Dixon and Clifton James providing support. Wolf does fine, though not particularly inspired, performances of songs like Love Me/ Dust My Broom/ All My Life/ Forty Four Blues and others. Sound quality is adequate but not great. The second disc is from August, 1973 recorded at Ebbet's Field Club in Denver. This was shortly after Wolf's recovery from a near fatal car accident. Wolf does only four songs - the rest of the disc featuring instrumentals or vocals by members of the band which included Hubert Sumlin/ gtr, Eddie Shaw/ sax, S.P. Leary/drums, Andrew McMahon/ bass and Detroit Jr./ pno. Wolf sings familiar songs Little Red Rooster/ Going Down Slow/ Killing Floor & Shake For Me. His performances are good though he sounds pretty weak The band is excellent with great guitar from Sumlin and hot sax by Shaw but the songs by the band members are pretty bland. (FS)

 
LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO Shanachie 43074 Classic Tracks** ● CD $16.98
14 tracks, essential
The wondrous South African acapella choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo first became known to many Americans when they appeared on Paul Simon's "Graceland"album and subsequent tour in 1986 but had been performing and recording in South Africa long before. Led by the gently quavering voice of Joseph Shabalala, they had been the most popular group amongst Black South Africans, effortlessly weaving a spell with their soothing hymns and proverbial songs. This collection features recordings made in South Africa in the 1970s and 80s. If you don't have any of this gentle, but emotive group's lovely singing, this is a perfect place to start and once you hear them you'll be hooked! (FS)

 
ASA MARTIN B.A.C.M. 493 Old Time Picking & Singing ● CD $14.98
24 tracks, very highly recommended
Wonderful collection of old time country music recorded between 1928 and 1934 by singer and guitarist Asa Martin usually in the company of James Roberts who provides harmony vocals as needed and second guitar or mandolin. There are also a number of instrumental tracks featuring the superb fiddler Doc Roberts and a couple of tracks features autoharp from Ed Lewis. Martin has a warm and engaging vocal style and his repertoire encompasses a wide range of old time songs - traditional songs, sentimental songs, tragedy songs, popular songs of the day and more. Tracks include Hot Corn/ Waltz The Hall/ Rye Cove Cyclone/ Johnny The Drunkard (a delightful version of the old favorite "Six Nights Drunk" with unique lyrics)/ Did You Ever See The Devil Uncle Joe?/ Down On The Farm/ The Ship That Never Returned/ Shortnin' Bread/ Sunny Tennesseee and more. Sound is excellent and there are brief notes by Brian Chalker. (FS)
ASA MARTIN: Brickyard Jo/ Did You Ever See The Devil Uncle Joe/ Down On The Farm/ Gentle Annie/ Hang Down Your Head And Cry/ Honeymoon Stomp/ Hot Corn/ I Don't Love Nobody/ Johnny The Drunkard/ Lost Love/ Low Down Hanging Around/ My Cabin Home Among The Hills/ My Lover On The Deep Blue Sea/ Pickin' And Playin'/ Rycove Cyclone/ Shadows And Dreams/ Shortnin' Bread/ Sunny Tennessee/ The Roundup In The Spring/ The Ship That Never Returned/ Waltz The Hall/ When It's Lamp Lighting Time In The Valley/ When The Roses Bloom Again For The Bootleggers/ When The Roses Bloom In Dixie

 
SKEETS MCDONALD Bear Family BCD 16986 Heart Breakin' Mama - Gonna Shake This Shack Tonight** ● CD $21.98
33 tracks, 79 mins, very highly recommended
A superb collection of sides recorded between 1950 and 1961 by this outstanding honky tonk singer whose comparative lack of success is puzzling - he was superb singer, excellent songwriter and was accompanied by top West Coast musicians like Joe Maphis, Jimmy Bryant, Tommy Jackson, Speedy West, Buck Owens, Ralph Mooney and others. His only hit in the 50s was his great cover of Slim Willet's Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes which is featured here along with lots of other great songs with an emphasis on bluesy, uptempo titles. The titles are presented approximately in chronological order opening with two of his earliest sides recorded for Detroit's Fortune Records label including the risque The Tattooed Lady. It also includes his stab at rockabilly - the great You Oughta See Grandma Rock and Heart Breakin' mama which shows he could have easily had a career as a rocker. Other tracks include Scoot, Git And Be Gone/ Hi Diddle Dee (My Way)/ Baby, I'm Countin'/ Your Love Is Like A Faucet/ I Got A New Field To Plow/ You Gotta Be May Baby/ Keep her Off Your Mind, etc. Superb sound and set comes with 32 page booklet with extnsive notes, rare photos and full discographical info. (FS)

 
BUCK OWENS Rockbeat 3303 Live In San Francisco, 1989 ● CD $19.98
Two CDs, 34 tracks, very highly recommended
I was there! In 1989 when I heard that Buck Owens was doing a show in San Francisco I couldn't believe it. I thought he had retired years ago but he was persuaded to come out of retirement and had made a new album and was starting to tour again. Nancy and I went to the show with trepidation since we couldn't imagine him being as good as he was on those classic 60s recordings - boy, were we wrong, in the best way possible. Backed by his Buckaroos including new and old members he effortlessly recreated that classic Bakersfield sound reeling off one great song after another. His voice had changed very little and the harmonies were as strong as ever and he and Terry Christofferson played dynamite electric guitar. Buck and the band looked as though they were having the time of their lives and this comes over on this great live recordings. The repertoire leaned heavily on his late 50s and 60s hits (Act Naturally/ Under Your Spell Again/ Key's In The Mailbox/ Please Don't Play A-11/ Hello Trouble/ I've Got A Tiger By The Tail, etc) along with his rockabilly song Hot Dog that he had first recorded in 1956 under the pseudonym of Corky Jones and re-recorded for his new album, his version of Streets Of Bakersfield that he had recorded as a duet with Dwight Yoakam who encouraged Buck to return to performing. He does a couple of Chuck Berry songs, a nod to his Bakersfield compadre Merle Haggard with Swinging Doors and the dynamite instrumental Buckaroo. If it sounds like Buck barely took a breath between songs that's just how it was - he may have sung most of these songs thousands of times but they sounded completely fresh. It was a wonderful and magical show and you can share some of that magic with this beautifully recorded set. (FS)

 
ANDY PARKER & THE PLAINSMEN B.A.C.M. 495 Volume 4 - Trail Dust ● CD $14.98
Unlike the first three volumes of this western harmony group which featured radio transcriptions the fourth volume features their commercial recordings made for Capitol between 1948 and 1951. Many of these have a more pop oriented flavor with horns and strings. There are sides with guest vocalists like Betsey Gay, Tex Ritter, Gordon McRae and others. This set was compiled and restored by Andy Parker's son Joe who also provides the notes. 23 tracks including Wagon Wheels/ Red River Valley/ Cigars, Cigarettes, Souveniers/ Dust Of A Rose/ Dear Hearts and Gentle People/ Hangman's Guns, etc.
ANDY PARKER & THE PLAINSMEN: A Lie Can't Mend A Broken Heart/ An Old Cameo/ By The Light Of The Alter Candles/ Cigarettes/ Cigars/ Dear Hearts And Gentle People/ Dust Of A Rose/ Gallopin' To Glory/ Hangman's Guns/ I Ain't Got Nothin' To Lose/ I Didn't Know The Gun Was Loaded/ Jesse James/ On Top Of Old Smoky/ Pecos Bill/ Red River Valley/ Ridin' Down The Canyon/ She's So Fragile/ Souvenirs/ The Rangers Ride Again/ Trail Dust/ Wagon Wheels/ Wailin' West Wind/ When It's Prayer Meetin' Time In The Hollow/ Whippoorwill Waltz/ You Gotta Get Good

 
OTIS RUSH Rockbeat 3320 Double Trouble - Live Cambridge 1973 ● CD $12.98
11 tracks, 55 mins, highly recommended
In the interests of full disclosure I should point out that I did the notes for this set but I hope you know that I wouldn't get involved in any project that I didn't think was worthwhile. And this is very worthwhile indeed. Recorded live at Joe's Place in Cambridge, Mass in May, 1973 this finds Otis in fine form doing a selection drawn from his great Cobra recordings (It Takes Time/ Keep On Loving Me Baby, etc) plus several B.B. King songs that he makes his own (Why I Sing The Blues/ Please Love Me, etc.), an unexpected but excellent version of James Brown's Please, Please, Please and several instrumentals including a terrific instrumental version of Ike & Tina's It's Gonna Work Out Fine. He is accompanied by a solid small group with top notch tenor sax work from Little Bo. Sound quality from the P.A. is superb and the notes are O.K., I guess. (FS)

 
CARL SMITH Bear Family BCD 16943 Hey Joe! - Gonna Shake This Shack Tonight** ● CD $21.98
34 tracks, 81 mins, essential
June Carter's first husband; Carlene Carter's dad; "Mr. Country"; Carl Smith was all these things and more. He was one of the most popular honky tonkers of the 50's, racking up over thirty Top 10 Country hits during the decade, and he managed to sustain that popularity right through until the end of the 70's. This volume in Bear Family's "Gonna Shake This Shack Tonight" series contains 34 of Smith's honky tonkin' best from the mid to late 50's, and one track from 1960 (his version of Eddie Cochran's Cut Across Shorty), including Hey Joe!/ Loose Talk/ Let's Live a Little, and (When You Feel Like You're in Love) Don't Just Stand There. Smith is largely forgotten today-an injustice this collection seeks to rectify-but he was not only a huge star in his time, he was also one of the first country artists to perform with a drummer, something which got him some flak at the time. His way with a song, and easy going singing style are infectious and he is ripe for re-discovery by lovers of "real" country music. And real country music is the order of the day on this CD; there ain't no country-rock, or country-pop cross-over stuff here. Anyone interested in checking out Carl Smith can start with this excellent compilation. (GMC)

 
SWAMP DOGG Takoma (UK) 7099 I'm Not Selling Out/ I'm Buying In ● CD $18.98
9 tracks, recommended
Singer/writer/producer and all-around-wacko Jerry "Swamp Dogg" Williams issued some legendary albums in the early 70's (after starting his career in the early 60's), and he was still at it in 1981, as proven by the appearance of this LP on CD for the first time. His tenth album for eight different labels in eleven years (since 1970), is a mixed bag of good-time rock 'n' roll (opener Wine, Women and Rock 'n' Roll), social commentary (It's Just a Little Time Left/ California is Drowning and I Live Down By the River), twisted love songs (the duet with Esther Phillips, The Love We Got Ain't Worth Two Dead Flies), and a "I told you so" - style update of his 1970 masterpiece Total Destruction to Your Mind, called-what else? - Total Destruction to Your Mind Once Again. Although the songs are all over the place lyrically, the music-a blend of rootsy rock and roll and bluesy R&B-is consistent throughout and certainly went against the grain of the R&B mainstream in 1981. In sum, while this album isn't a patch on Swamp Dogg's early 70's glories, it is a worthy addition to his catalog. (GMC)

 
TARHEEL SLIM Firefly 1437 The Ultimate R&B Collection** ● CD $16.98
29 tracks, 80 mins, highly recommended
Available again at a lower price. Superb collection of blues, R&B and doo-wop by North Carolina singer/ guitarist Tarheel Slim (Allen Bunn). It features almost all of his recordings made between 1951 and 1962 for several labels - most notably Bobby Robinson's Red Robin, Fury & Fire labels. Apart from an unissued session for Gotham in 1949 his earliest commercial recordings were as a member of the vocal group The Larks and this set includes Eysight TO The Blind and My Little Sidecar. He then went out on his own recording as Allen Bunn or Allen Baum and recorded such fine sides as The Guy With The 45 (with Sonny Terry on harp), the first recording of the minor key ballad Two Time Loser and the Blind Boy Fuller influenced Too Much Competition. In 1957 Bunn met his future wife Lee Sanford and they started recording together as The Lovers or, sometimes Tarheel Slim and Little Ann with a mix of hard driving R&B and minor key blues ballads and notched up several R&B hits including the superb It's Too Late. In 1958 he did a solo recording as Tarheel Slim resulting in the double sided rockin' blues masterpiece Number Nine Train/ Wildcat Tamer with Slim joined by Wild Jimmy Spruill to turn out a great churning guitar accompaniment. The compilers of this set had the good sense to leave out the truly awful versions of a couple of country songs the duo recorded. Sound quality is excellent and there are detailed notes. (FS)
TARHEEL SLIM: Anything For You/ Can't Stay Away From You/ Can't Stay Away Part 1/ Can't Stay Away Part 2/ Don't Ever Leave Me/ Eyesight To The Blind/ Forever I'll Be Yours/ Got To Keep On Lovin' You/ Got You Covered/ Gotta Whole Lot Of Lovin' To Do/ Guy With The '45/ I'm Gonna Throw You Out/ It's Too Late/ Let's Have A Ball/ Little Side Car/ Lock Me In Your Heart/ Much Too Late/ My Fight/ My Kind Of Woman/ Number 9 Train/ Security/ She'll Be Sorry/ Tell Me/ Too Much Competition/ Two Time Loser 1/ Two Time Loser 2/ Wildcat Tamer/ Wine/ You Make Me Feel So Good

 
IKE & TINA TURNER Hoodoo 263427 The Soul Of Ike & Tina Turner - Plus 10 Bonus Tracks ● CD $12.98
22 tracks, very highly recommended
During the 60's, the Ike & Tina Turner Revue blazed brightly on the R&B circuit and, later, in the rock ballrooms after the Rolling Stones introduced them to white kids. This CD contains the husband-and-wife team's debut album for Sue Records, released in 1961, as well as ten bonus tracks of material from the same period. As a record of Ike and Tina's early years, this set is invaluable and definitive: Tina's raw and personality filled voice and Ike's tight arrangements carry the slightly non-descript tunes into memorable territory. With R&B single A Fool in Love as the main calling card, the original album does hold together quite well with You Can't Love Two/ I Had a Notion, and Chances Are immediately catching the ear. Kicking off with another hit, It's Gonna Work Out Fine, the bonus tracks show off more of Tina's vocal prowess - get a load of the Poor Fool and You Should've Treated Me Right - while also giving Ike some mike time, solo on Box Top and You Keep On Worrying Me, and duetting with Tina on Won't You Forgive Me/ The Argument, and Mind in a Whirl. The bonus tracks are worth the price of admission alone, and certainly boost this re-issue-along with the 16 page booklet full of photos and detailed liner notes-all the way up to must-have status. (GMC)

 
RITCHIE VALENS Hoodoo 263425 Ritchie Valens/ Ritchie ● CD $12.98
31 tracks, 67 mins, very highly recommended
Everyone who has any interest in rock 'n' roll should have a Ritchie Valens album and until someone does a complete set this CD is as good as any featuring a great cross section of his recordings. Dead at the age of 17 and with a recording career lasting one year the accomplishments of Richard Valenzuela are many. He was a beautiful singer, a superb guitar player, an excellent songwriter and someone with a remarkable awareness of a wide spectrum of music. He could rock as hard as anyone (That's My Little Susie/ Ohh! My Head/ Come On Let's Go/ Bony Maronie, etc), caress your ears with a tender ballad (We Belong Together/ Donna/ Stay Beside Me/ My Darling Is Gone) and then rock up a traditional Mexican wedding song (La Bamba), a childern's nursery rhyme (Paddi-Wack Song), perform an unexpected variation of a traditional English ballad (In A Turkish Town) and get down in the alley for Big Baby Blues. Not bad for someone who had barely left high school. Had he lived there is little doubt he would have been a major musical figure but what's the point of idle speculation? This set features two of the three albums issued after his death - the first being all studio recordings including his hits That's My Little Suzie/ Donna and La Bamba. The second LP is a mix of studio recordings and demos. The bonus tracks includes four songs from the live LP recorded at Ritchie's high school and four more demos. As usual for Hoodoo the sound quality is superb and it comes with a very attractive 16 page booklet with original LP notes, new notes and

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Ace CDCHD 982 The Modern Downhome Blues Sessions, Vol. 2** ● CD $18.98
26 tracks, 66 mins, essential
The second volume of recordings from the field trips to the South made by Joe Bihari and Ike Turner features 26 tracks recorded in Arkansas and Mississippi in the spring of 1952 including many of the same artists as on the first volume. The first 12 tracks were from Mississippi including two tracks by the excellent Boyd Gilmore including the Elmore James flavored All In My Dreams to which the Biharis dubbed in the intro and guitar solo from Elmore's Please Find My Baby to accnetuate the connection. He also does a terrific version of Take A Little Walk With Me with some splendid guitar work from Boyd himself. There are two tracks by the man Elmore himself and the rest of the Mississippi recordings features Greenville based trio of musicians - singer/guitarist Charley Booker, singer/ harmonica player Houston Boines and singer/ drummer Cleanhead Love. They all take turns at the vocal mike and all are fine - Boines's songs feature some memorable lyrics - his Superintendant Blues is actually about a school superintendent! The last 14 sides feature another all star Arkansas group led by singer/ harmonica player Drifting Slim (aka Model T Slim aka Elmon Mickle), a fine singer and harmonica player influenced by John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson. This group also featured the superb guitarist and vocalist Baby face Turner and singer/ harmonica player Sunny Blair - all of them fine. This superb disc features several previously unissued songs or alternate takes. Sound quality is sensational and the 12 page booklet has extensive notes by Jim O'Neal - much of it based on hs own research. (FS)
SUNNY BLAIR: My Baby's Gone/ Send My Baby/ Step Back Baby/ Step Back Baby (please Send My Baby Back)/ HOUSTON BOINES: G Man/ Monkey Motion/ Operator Blues (take 1 False Start)/ Operator Blues (take 2)/ Operator Blues (take 3)/ Superintendent Blues/ CHARLEY BOOKER: Charley's Boogie Woogie/ DRIFTING SLIM: Good Morning Baby/ I Feel So Good/ My Sweet Woman/ Shout Sister Shout/ You're An Old Lady/ BOYD GILMORE: All In My Dreams/ Take A Little Walk With Me/ ELMORE JAMES: Long Tall Woman/ Please Find My Baby/ CLEANHEAD LOVE: Why Don't My Baby Write To Me/ BABY FACE TURNER: Best Days/ Blue Serenade/ Blue Serenade (take 1)/ Blue Serenade (take3)/ Gonna Let You Go

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Ace CDTOP2 1449 Unlock The Lock - The Kent Records Story Vol. 1 ● CD $26.98
2 CD, 48 tracks, very highly recommended
This next volume in Ace Records' ongoing overview of the labels in the Modern Records family places the spotlight on owners Jules, Saul and Joe Bihari's longest running label Kent. Their last great label, Kent was started in 1958 as the successor to the brothers' earlier imprints, after the decision to put RPM and Modern to bed in early 1958. Basically, Kent was used by the brothers to shed whatever previously contracted artists and executives they considered deadweight. The result was only Etta James, Jesse Belvin, Don Cole, Danny Flores, and B.B. King made the cut; but by 1959, only King remained and it was his sales and profile that mostly kept Kent afloat during the years covered in this collection. Under those circumstances, it should be no surprise that B.B. makes a number of appearances throughout the two discs, with some of his offerings being alternate takes and undubbed versions. B.B. may have been the label's bread and butter during the early years, but that doesn't mean there wasn't some quality music being made. Etta James managed to cut a couple of hot tracks before she split, Baby, Baby Every Night and Crazy Feeling (aka Do Something Crazy), and Belvin and rockabilly singer Don Cole also managed a great parting shots in (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons and Sweet Lovin' Honey, respectively. But there's much more to savor than that; just check out Van Robinson (Basis of Rock 'n' Roll), the Barker Brothers (the sprightly rockabilly of Hey Little Mama), Floyd Dixon and His Orchestra (Dance the Thing), Hadda Brooks (Tomorrow Night), Jimmy Witherspoon (an elegant version of Your Cheating Heart), Jimmy Nelson (Unlock the Lock), Billy Ray (Texas Queen, featuring some blazing guitar), and Bobby "Blue" Bland (Love You Baby) for starters. A label that could so easily accommodate R&B, Blues, rockabilly, and country without selling any of the genres short is a treasure to behold, and with 30 of the tracks new to CD, this collection becomes indispensable. Bring on Vol. 2! (GMC)
TONY ALLEN: Dreamin'/ If Love Was Money/ THE BARKER BROTHERS (MONTY AND FREDY): Hey Little Mama/ JESSE BELVIN: (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons/ BETTY AND DUPREE: If It Ain't One Thing/ BOBBY BLAND WITH IKE TURNER'S ORCHESTRA: Love You Baby/ HADDA BROOKS: The Thrill Is Gone (Take 1)/ Tomorrow Night (Overdubbed Version)/ THE CLASSICALS: Camel Caravan/ DON COLE: High School Hop/ DANNY BOY: All Of Me/ HAL DAVIS: Without You/ LEE DENSON: Devil Doll/ FLOYD DIXON & HIS ORCHESTRA: Dance The Thing/ LITTLE JOE HINTON: Get In The Car/ The Whip Twist/ JOE HOUSTON: Doin' The Twist/ PAT HUNT: Goodnight My Love (Pleasant Dreams)/ ETTA JAMES: (Baby Baby) Every Night/ Do Something Crazy (Crazy Feeling)/ JESSE JAMES: Red Hot Rockin' Blues/ South's Gonna Rise Again/ B.B. KING: Bad Case Of Love (Take 1)/ Good Man Gone Bad (Mono Single Version)/ Mashing The Popeye (Mono Single Edit)/ Mean Ole Frisco (Take 2)/ Please Accept My Love (Alternate Mix)/ Sweet Sixteen Parts 1 & 2/ The Fool/ Why Do Things Happen To Me/ Worry Worry (Take 1)/ You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now (Take 4)/ SONNY KNIGHT: Madness/ JIMMY NELSON: Unlock The Lock (Take 2)/ THE NEWPORTS: The Wonder Of Love/ CHARLIE OWENS & THE SENSATIONAL INK SPOTS: Diane/ BILLY RAY: Playboy/ Texas Queen/ TEDDY REYNOLDS: Do You Wanna Twist/ CHUCK "TEQUILA" RIO: Bye Bye Baby (Take 5)/ VAN ROBINSON: Basis Of The Rock And Roll (Take 1)/ You You You/ BOBBY SANDERS: Maybe I'm Wrong/ THE SENDERS: Everybody Seems To Know/ The Ballad Of Stagger Lee/ FLASH TERRY AND HIS ORCHESTRA: On My Way Back Home/ ARTIE WILSON: That's My Baby/ JIMMY WITHERSPOON: Your Cheatin' Heart (Mono Single Version)

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Airline 57532 Loose The Funk - Rarities From The Jewel/ Paula Vaults ● CD $15.98
20 tracks, very highly recommended
It would seem that Airline is using the "Loose the Funk" name as a catch-all for their label compilations with a funk/dance slant, since the same name was used for a similar collection we reviewed earlier ("Loose the Funk: Rare Soul From Sound Stage 7 Records," Airline 57628). Whatever the reasoning, here is more funky soul from a great R&B label's back catalog, and it doesn't disappoint from the gut-bucket opener Shootin' the Grease by Jesse Gresham Plus 3 to the mildly salacious closer Take 'Em Up by Buddy Ace, and everything in between. Admittedly, there's a song or two that might stretch the funk classification (Ted Taylor's I've Got to Find Somebody New, for example), but that would be quibbling and who really cares when a collection has songs as good as The El Dorados' Loose Booty Pt. 1, Bobby Powell's Peace Begins Within, Little Joe Blue's If You Love Me Like You Say, the Wallace Brothers' Woman, Hang Your Head in Shame, and Cash McCall's Junkie For Your Love. Make no mistake, this is one bad mother of a collection and let's hope there's more where this came from in the Jewel/Paula library. (GMC)
BUDDY ACE: Take 'Em Up/ RAY AGEE: Hard Working Man/ LITTLE JOE BLUE: If You Love Me Like You Say/ ARLENE BROWN & LEE "SHOT" WILLIAMS: Impeach Me Baby/ LOUISE CHACHERE: The Hen, Pt. 1/ THE EL DORADOS: Loose Booty, Pt. 1/ ESSENCE: Black Reflections/ THE FOUR SHADES: My World/ THE GENIES: Prove It/ JESSE GRESHAM PLUS 3: Shootin' the Grease/ CASEY JONES: Good Thing, Pt. 2/ DUMAS KING: Loose Eel/ CASH MCCALL: Junkie for Your Love/ JOE PERKINS: Looking for a Woman/ BOBBY POWELL: Peace Begins Within/ WILLIE ROGERS: Games People Play/ BOBBY RUSH: Get It on with Me/ TED TAYLOR: I've Got to Find Somebody New/ THE WALLACE BROTHERS: Woman, Hang Your Head in Shame/ ALEX WILLIAMS: The Thrill Ain't Gone

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Airline 57817 The Jewel/ Paula Rock Story ● CD $18.98
2 CD, 36 tracks, highly recommended
Back in 2012, Fuel Records issued a collection called The Jewel/Paula Soul Story (Fuel 61897) which focused on the R&B output of Stan Lewis' family of labels, Jewel, Paula, and Ronn. Now, three years later, we have a sister release that concentrates on the rock and pop artists that recorded for those labels; it's not a little ironic that a label renowned for its' stellar R&B sides should have had its' biggest hit with a pop/rock throwaway, Judy in Disguise (With Glasses), which reached Number One on the pop charts in 1968 for John Fred & His Playboy Band. That song is here in all its pseudo-psychedelic glory, along with the follow-up, Hey Hey Bunny, and the garage band-y Outta My Head and Boogie Children which presents Fred & the Playboys at their greasy best. In fact, it can be said that many of these songs, released roughly between 1964 and 1969, do sound like they came straight from the garage. That's not necessarily a bad thing, especially when there's some actual talent involved, e.g. Bobby Charles' revved up remake of Jimmy McCracklin's 1958 hit The Walk, Mickey Gilley's boogie version of Little Walter's My Babe, and Charlie Daniels' (yes, that Charlie Daniels, of "Devil Went Down to Georgia" fame) quietly intense The Middle of a Heartache. It's not all Beatles/ Stones/ Animals/ Yardbirds wannabes-Tom & the Cats (The Wine Song), The Uniques (You Ain't Tuff), The Chaps (Forget Me), and The Bad Boys (Love), for example; there's also some rockabilly from Ed Forsyth, a dance track or two (The Five Jets' The Shake, The Boogie Kings' Philly Walk), blue-eyed soul (The Bad Habits' version of Delaney and Bonnie's It's Been a Long Time Coming), and teen pop (Goodbye Sue from Eddie Powers, who sounds uncannily like Elvis Costello). Heck, there's even a riotous cover of Jimi Henrdrix's Fire from Five By Five that needs to be heard to be believed. In short, there's nearly something for everyone, and this set gives a fairly accurate picture of mid-60s pop/ rock from an indie label perspective. (GMC)
5 X 5: Shake a Tail Feather/ THE BAD BOYS: Black Olives/ Love/ THE BAD HABITS: It's Been a Long Time Coming/ THE BOOGIE KINGS: Bony Moronie/ I've Got Your Number/ Philly Walk/ THE CHAPS: Forget Me/ Tell Me/ You'll Be Back/ BOBBY CHARLES: The Walk/ CHARLEY DANIELS & THE JAGUARS: The Middle of a Heartache/ DANNY & JERRY: Mo'reen/ We've Got a Groovey Thing Goin'/ FIVE BY FIVE: Fire/ She Digs My Love/ THE FIVE JETS: Sugaree/ The Shake/ ED FORSYTH: Baby What's Wrong/ Come on Everybody/ JOHN FRED & HIS PLAYBOY BAND: Hey, Hey, Bunny/ Judy in Disguise/ JOHN FRED AND THE PLAYBOYS: Outta My Head/ MICKEY GILLEY: My Babe/ THE IN-CROWD: In the Midnight Hour/ THE PLAYBOYS: Boogie Children/ EDDIE POWERS: Goodbye Sue/ THE SPECTRES: I Cried/ SKIP STEWART: Sweet Little Rock & Roller/ TOM & THE CATS: Good Good Lovin'/ Summertime Blues/ The Wine Song/ THE UNIQUES: Goodbye So Long/ Not Too Long Ago/ Sha-La Love/ You Ain't Tuff

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS B.A.C.M. 492 Custom Made Gospel, Vol. 2 ● CD $14.98
27 tracks, strongly recommended
Another excellent collection of country gospel drawn from Starday's custom series. Heartfelt singing and simple arrangements make for compelling performances. There's some bluegrass gospel from The Huntsinger Brothers & Jim Shumate and Delmer Sexton & The Rone County Boys, group family harmonies from The Happy Jubilee Quartet and A.L. Phipps Family (the latter are particularly fine), duets from The Goad Sisters and The Reece Sisters and more including the lovely The Bood That Stained That Old Rugged Cross featuring vocalist Roy Huskins only accompanied by soulful electric guitar that is very effective. It includes notes by Phillip Tricker but, unfortunately practicallky nothing is known about most of the performers. (FS)
THE CAROLINA GOSPELERS: In A Simple Country Church/ THE COFFEY FAMILY: They're Building On Sand/ THE GOAD SISTERS: Cabin On The Hill/ The Return Of The Prodical (sic)/ THE HAPPY JUBILEE QUARTET: I'll Trust In The Lord/ No Sin In Heaven/ Singing In That Promised Land/ The End Of Our Journey/ THE HUNTSINGER BROS & JIM SHUMATE: Mansions Eternal/ Old Country Baptizing (Down At The Creek)/ ROY HUSKINS: The Blood That Stained The Old Rugged Cross/ A.L. PHIPPS FAMILY: A Soul Winner For Jesus/ Glad Reunion Day/ Some Sweet Day/ THE REECE SISTERS: Known Only To Him/ Let Your Light Shine/ Stand By Me/ Wings Of A Dove/ DELMER SEXTON & THE RONE COUNTY BOYS: I Will Not Be Denied/ DELMER SEXTON & THE RONE COUNTRY BOYS: Looking For An Old Fashioned Church/ WINSTON SHELTON & COUNTRY GOSPEL SINGERS: From Bethlehem To Calvery/ I'm Not A Poor Man/ DALLAS & DELLA STAMPER: Brother That's Charity/ DALLAS STAMPER & SPIRITUAL RHYTHMETTE BOYS: I'm Going To Heaven When I Die/ ELSIE WARREN: I Love My Jesus/ RAY WOLFE & THE TRAIL BLAZERS: Birds Of The Air/ The Silver Chalice

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS B.A.C.M. 494 Custom Made Hillbilly, Vol. 8 ● CD $14.98
Another 29 fine sides from country hopefuls who recorded in the Starday studios or had Starday produce their self recorded songs to be issued on a plethora of custom labels. This one features titles from the late 50s/ early 60s. About half the artists are returning from previously (Bill Johnson, Alden Holloway, Frank Evans, Fred Scarboro, etc.) so if you enjoyed previous volumes then chances are you'll enjoy this one too. New to this disc are Levon McCall, Ray Williams (particularly nice honky tonk), Jimmy Pearson & The Melody Boys, Bill Willis (great raw and raucous sides), Lonnie Irving and others. Excellent sound and informative notes from Phillip Tricker. (FS)
THE BLANKENSHIP BROS. & SUNDOWN PLAYBOYS: Lonesome Old Jail/ Too Late/ FRANK EVANS & HIS TOP NOTCHERS: All My Dreams Are Gold/ HORACE GOODWIN & ETOWAH VALLEY BOYS: The Country Jitterbug (Instr.)/ The Georgia Two Step (Instr.)/ THE HI-TOMBS: Sweet Rockin' Mama/ Weeping Willow Rock (Instr.)/ ALDEN HOLLOWAY & TRI CITY BOYS: Loving Is My Business/ LONNIE IRVING: I Got Blues On My Mind/ BILL JOHNSON & THE DABBLERS: Umm Boy You're My Baby/ RAMON (RAY) LANGLEY: If You Just Knew/ ARVEL LEWIS: Pine Mountain Boogie/ LEVON MCCALL & THE DRIFTERS: I Lose Again/ If I Don't Change my mind/ MALCOLM NASH WITH THE PUTNAM COUNTY PLAY BOYS: I Guess I'm Wise/ DANIEL NIX & THE COMPENSATION BOYS: Compensation Blues/ JIMMIE PEARSON & MELODY BOYS: I'm Not Sure/ Nobody Cares/ HARRY PEPPEL & THE SHENANDOAH RANGERS: One Night's Love/ BOBBY PETERS & HIS CASS COUNTY RAMBLERS: Lonesome Street/ Since You Left Me This Morning/ JIM PIERCE: I Tore Up Your Picture/ FRED SCARBORO & THE STRING MASTERS: (I'll Always Love You) Till I Die/ BUCKSKIN SMITH: Amen, Brother Ben, Amen/ Black Eyed Susie/ RAY WILLIAMS & THE WESTERNERS: Four Walls, A Table And A Bottle Of Wine/ If I Knew All The Answers/ BILL WILLIS: Boogie Woogie All Night/ Where Is My Baby

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS BE! Sharp 6043 The Texas Box ● CD $209.98
10 CDs plus 200 page hardcover book, 330 tracks, essential
The first of two incredible box sets that have just arrived that marks the beginning of an ambitious series. This set features 330 tracks of rockabilly and rockin' country ranging from the early 50s through the early 60s. The focus is on small independent labels and obscure artists. The set is arranged alphabetically by label and then numerically by number. The first disc features labels like Action, All America, Allstar, Anthem, etc and artists like Orville Couch, Bill Boyd (veteran western swing legend with the great Rockin' and Rollin' My Country Songs Away), Danny James, Rocky Williams, Dick Barton's Rebels and others. Jump to disc 10 and you have labels like Van, Ven, Warrior, Wildcat, Winston, Zip and others with artists like Ronnie Ellis, Kenneth Trent & The Continentals, Al Epp & The Pharoahs, The Zircons and many more. I haven't had the time to listen t the entire set but what I've heard is superb with outstanding quality. And then there's the book! 200 full color pages with detailed information about the artists, labels, pressing plants, mastering and recording studios. For each record there is a "Collector's Corner" box with additional information about the record and an estimate of the current market price. And there are many hundreds of photos of artists and full color label shots. They even include sections on labels that have been covered by other labels so are not included on the discs to give as comprehensive picture as possible. If you have an extensive collection of rockabilly reissues you might have many of the tracks here but now you can have it all in context and with information not available on previous reissues. At first glance you would think this was a Bear Family box and this set lives up to the high standard set by Bear Family. Counts as 36 CDs for shipping purposes. (FS)
MAX ALEXANDER & THE HI-FI COMBO: Little Rome/ BAILEY ANDERSON & THE SATIN GENTLEMEN: What Will The Answer Be/ JERRY ARNOLD: Blonds, Brunettes Or Redheads/ JACK ARNOLD & THE CHALECOS: Hey, Jo Baby/ JERRY ARNOLD & THE RHYTHM CAPTAINS: High Classed Baby/ Race For Time/ DAVE ATKINS & HIS OFFBEATS: Shake- Kum-Down/ AVON & THE RAVE-ONS: Honey, Honey, Honey/ Teen Queen/ BOB BAKER: Kitty Kat Korner/ Turned On The Ice/ BETTY BARNES & THE FOUR SHADOWS: What Would You Do/ DICK BARTON & THE REBELS: I Get The Blues/ DICK BARTON'S REBELS: Take This Message, Darling/ Yes Baby, I'm Scared/ DEAN BEARD WITH THE CREW CATS: Rakin And Scrapin/ THE BENDERS: Sharpest Little Girl/ ROD BERNARD: Recorded In England/ THE BLACKWELL TWINS WITH CHARLES BLACKWELL C: Baby, Baby, Baby/ That's My Baby/ TOMMY BLAKE WITH THE RHYTHM REBELS: Koolit/ BILL BLEVINS: Baby I Won' t Keep Waitin'/ Crazy Blues/ THE BLUE NOTES: I Love Her So/ TOOTER BOATMAN & THE CHAPARRALS: The Will Of Love/ BOBBY & THE FIFTHS: My Baby's Fine/ LUCKY BOGGS & THE TUNE TOPPERS: You Can't Stop Her/ CHARLIE BOOTH & THE BLUE VELVETS: Gonna Find Some Lovin'/ DON BOOTS & THE WESTERN SWING BAND: Big Foot Annie/ BILL BOYD, THE COWBOY RAMBLER: Rockin' And Rollin' My Country Songs Away/ TOMMY BROWN: That Cat/ WALTER BROWN & HIS BAND: Alley Cat/ Jelly Roll Rock/ CHARLIE BROWN & HIS CISCO KIDS: Don' t Put The Blame On Me/ Have You Heard The Gossip/ CHARLIE BROWN & HIS LAZY V-HANDS: Mean Mean Mama/ JOHNNY BROWN & THE PLAINSMEN: Shame/ GUY BROWN WITH RAY CAMPI & HIS BAND: Uh-Uh/ JERRY BRYAN (HOUNDOGS): Vampire Daddy/ Walking Out/ WOODY BURCH: Aquagell Blues/ C.L. & THE PICTURES: Let's Take A Ride/ JOHNNY CANALES & HIS ORCHESTRA: Johnny B. Good/ CARL CANIDA & HIS CANADIANS: Party Date/ BOBBY CANTON & THE CITATIONS: Beat Back Baby/ HAROLD CASNER: That Is Why/ THE CATALINAS: Speechless/ THE CENTURYS: Whole Lot Of Shakin' Going On/ THE CHANCELLERS: Judy/ BRUCE CHANNEL: Come On Baby/ GAYLON CHRISTIE & THE DOWNBEATS: Hootchi Cootchi Man/ CHUCKLIN CHUCK SLOAN WITH THE DUKES OF GREENVILLE: Too Old To Rock And Roll/ THE CIRCLE C BAND WITH LEE HARMOND: Ramshackled Shack/ EDDIE CLEARY: I Don't Care/ Think It Over Baby/ Meet Miss Susie/ LEE COLE & THE BEAU JESTERS: Cool Baby/ ORVILLE COUCH: Wild Girl/ THE COUNTRY DUDES: Have A Ball/ RILEY CRABTREE: She Loves Me Better/ THE CREEP: Betty Lou's Got A New Tattoo/ I'm Wise/ BOBBY CROWN & THE KAPERS: One Way Ticket/ THE CRUISERS: Cruisin'/ D-Y & THE MOTIVATERS: Hot Rod Ford/ JIM DALE & THE COMANCHEROES: VW/ JACKIE DALLAS & THE TIARAS: Bull Moose/ JIMMY DART WITH GENE DUNLAP & JOKERS: Please Don't Doubt My Love/ CHUCK DAVIS: Teaser/ JOE B. & CHARLIE DAVIS: Mississippi Central/ Shut Your Big Fat Mouthv/ LINK DAVIS: Grasshopper/ Johnny Be Good/ Rice & Gravy/ AL DAVIS & THE BLACKOUTS: Go Baby Go/ LINK DAVIS & THE CAJUNS: Airliner/ Permit Blues/ AL DAVIS & THE GUNSHOTS: Ricky Tic/ GARLAND DAVIS WITH SPOT BARNETT ORCHESTRA: I' ve Got A Girl/ AL DEAN & HIS ALL STARS: Fragile Heart/ JIMMY "FRENCHIE" DEE: I Ain't Givin Up Nothin/ THE DELATONES: Little Jeanie/ JOHNNY DENTON WITH HAROLD SHARP & BAND: Hey Babe/ DODI & DOT: Little Red Rockin' Hood/ RAY DOGGETT & THE COUNTS: No Doubt About It/ MEL DOUGLAS & THE NU-NOTES: Cadillac Boogie/ JERRY DOVE & HIS STRING BUSTERS: Pink Bow Tie/ BOBBY DOYLE: Hot Seat/ Chug-A-Lug/ BILL DUNCAN: Whirlin Twerlin Rock/ GENE DUNLAP & JOKERS: Made In The Shade/ DAVID DUNN: Rock Me/ CLYDE EASLEY: Drive In Baby/ EDDIE EAY WITH FRANKIE & THE ROCKS: Dancin' Girl/ DON EEE: Stop At The Hop/ RONNIE ELLIS & THE ORIGINALS: Honey Blonde/ THE EMBERS: I'm Goin' Surfin'/ AL EPP & THE PHARAOHS: Breaking My Heart/ EARL EPPS: Be-Bop Blues/ THE EXCELS: Let's Dance/ Walking The Dog/ DENNY EZBA: Dirty, Dirty Feeling/ THE FABULOUS WANDERERS: I'm A Road Runner/ JAN FAGGARD WITH JOHNNY WINTER'S BAND & THE: Lost Without You/ LITTLE JOEY FARR: Rock'n Roll Santa/ ROLAND (R.A) FAULK: My Baby's Gone/ DON FEGER: Date On The Corner/ Don't Be Mad/ Look Out Baby/ FREDDIE FENDER: Mean Woman/ THE FERRELL BROTHERS WITH TERRY & ANN: Oh! Moon/ GEORGE FLEMING: I'm Gonna Tell On You/ The Shake/ JIMMY FLETCHER: What's Wrong With You/ LAWRENCE FLIPPO & THE FUTURAS: Let's Do It/ SANDY FORD: Cat Man Boogie/ BEAMON FORSE: You Better Go Now/ BUCK FOWLER: She's Just That Kind/ DON FOWLER & THE COUNTRY TIMERS: Oklahoma Baby/ ORVILLE FOX & THE HARMONY MASTERS: Honey You Talk Too Much/ JIM FRANCIS & THE MODERNS: Travelin'/ FRANTIC FREDDIE & THE PRO-TEENS: Charmaine/ J. GALE & THE GAMES: Suds/ JOHNNY GARMON & THE SHADOWS: The Shadows Dance/ You're Wrong/ JIMMY GATLIN & THE YELLOW JACKETS: Texarkana Baby/ ERNIE GLENN & THE HAPPY GO LUCKY COWBOYS: These Lonely Years/ CHUCK GODDARD: Living Myself To Death/ GARRY GOODGION: Blues Party/ GLEN GOZA & THE DAMANGOS: Goshamody Whatabody/ K.C. GRAND & THE SHADES: Lookie - Lookie - Lookie/ BOBBY GRAY: Dixie Doodle Dandy/ Theres Gonna Be A Party/ DUANE GRAY: Come Home/ JACK GRISHAM: Big Heart/ JIM HADLEY & DRIFTER'S RANGERS: Midnight Train/ JIM HADLEY & THE DRIFTIN’ RANGERS: Midnight Train (version)/ BEN HALL & THE COUNTRY DRIFTERS: Moo Mama/ EUEL HALL & THE RHYTHM ROCKERS: Blue Feeling/ Stand In Line/ HANK THE DRIFTER & HIS DRIFTING HILLBILL: I'm Gonna Spin My Wheels/ FLETCHER HANNA WITH RED "JOE" RAYNER & HIS OZARK: Hepcat Boogie/ JERRY HANSON: When I Was A Little Boy/ RICK HARRINGTON WITH GENE DUNLAP & JOKERS: While You're Young/ FRANCIS L. HARRIS: My Baby's Acting Kind'a Strange/ The Rambler/ CLEDUS HARRISON: Rock And Roll In The Groove/ BENNIE HESS: Wild Hog Hop/ BIG BEN HESS: Wild Hog Hop/ JAY-BOB HOWDY WITH HOYLE NIX & HIS WEST TEXAS CO: Real Rockin Daddy/ BILL HOWELL & HIS GUITAR: Rocket Rollin' Blues/ TOMMY HUDSON & THE SAVOYS: Rock-It/ PAUL HUFFMAN WITH THE REBEL COMBO: She's Mine/ JOE HUGHES & HIS ORCHESTRA: Make Me Dance Little Ant/ JOHNNY HUSKEY & THE KING BEES: Red Dress/ JERRY IRBY: Forty Nine Women/ JAC & JAY WITH THE TOM TOMS: Monkey's Uncle/ THE JADES: Lost Train/ DANIEL JAMES: Rock Moon Rock/ LEROY JENKINS: Why Don't You Get On The Woo Wagon With Me/ DOTTIE JONES: Honey, Honey/ RANDELL KARBER: Back To School/ STONEY KILROY & LA-SABERS: Goodbye Johnny/ CLAUDE KING: Run Baby Run/ JESSIE LEE KING & HIS CROWNS: Nervous Wreck/ Rock And Roll Rover/ THE KNIGHTSMEN FEAT. SUE BLACK: Pistol Packin' Mama/ JIMMY KRISS: You've Got Me Worried/ DAN KUBIAK & THE SOUND WAVES: Finding You/ PERRY LA POINTE & THE ORANGE PLAYBOYS: B.O. Rock/ BUD LANDON & THE RHYTHM MASTERS: Get Away/ Running Man/ Six Mile Climb/ Walking/ RALPH LANE & THE WHITEY FOUR: You Gotta Show Me/ SAMMY LARA & THE SKYTONES: Silly Sally/ DALE LAY: Country Style Twist/ FLOYD LEE: Go Boy/ JACKY LEE & JAY BRINKLEY COMBO: Misery/ JOHNNY LEE & THE ROADRUNNERS: Town Of No Return/ JOYCE LEE WITH DALE & PAUL: Tore Up/ WINK LEWIS WITH BUZ BUSBY & BAND: Zzztt, Zzztt, Zzztt/ LONNIE LILLIE: Truck Driver's Special/ LEWIS LINDSEY: The Push/ JOE LOMBARDIE & THE CATS: Let's All Rock And Roll/ HUEY LONG: Elvis Stole My Gal/ LOUISIANA LANNIS: Tongue Twister Boogie/ Walking Out/ JERRY LYNN: Don't Want Your Money, Honey/ MACK & GWEN WITH THE COUNTRY PLAYBOYS: Baby I Want Another Date With You/ RED MANSEL: My Only One/ RONNIE MARTIN: Baby You're Mine/ SWINGING MIKE "KEYS" MARTINEZ: Sugar Baby/ EDDY MARVIN: I'm Packing My Duds & I'm Head-in South/ DALE MCBRIDE WITH THE JIMMY HEAP ORCHESTRA: Prissy Missy/ CECIL MCCULLOUGH & THE BORDER BOYS: Pick 'em Up And Shake 'em Up/ MONTE MEAD: Cape Canaveral/ ALFREDO MENDIETA: Chicken Run/ GARY MIDDLETON & THE EXCELLOS: Don't Be Shy/ LONNIE MILEY: Satellite Fever – Asiatic Flu/ BUDDY MILLER & HIS ROCKIN’ RAMBLERS: Little Bo Pete/ BUDDY MILLER & THE ROCKIN’ RAMBLERS: I Got Me A Woman/ Rock And Roll Irene/ HANK MILLS: Just A Mean Mean Mamma/ TELLI W. MILS, THE FAT CAT: Ain't Goin' Home/ RAY MITCHAM: Out Yonder/ THE MODS: Stone Henge/ HAROLD MONTGOMERY WITH THE RAY JOHNSON BAND: How Much Do You Miss Me/ THE MOONLIGHTERS: Broken Heart/ Rock-A-Bayou Baby/ CECIL MOORE: I Got It Bad/ JAN MOORE: Play It Cool/ TURNER MOORE WITH CHARLEY MOORE & THE CRYSTALS: I'll Be Leavin' You/ JOE MORGAN: What Do We Do Now/ GENE MORRIS: I Craw Fished/ Lovin Honey/ BILL MORRISON & HIS BAND: Baby Be Good/ Set Me Free/ MEREDITH NEAL: Gertrude/ DICKIE "BIRD" NEWLAND: Don't Be Funny Honey/ Pearly Mae/ ROCKY NIGHT SINGING WITH HIS NIGHT CATS: Teen Age Bop/ JOE NORRIS: Rock Out Of This World/ DALE OLIVER: Long Gone Daddy/ BOBBY OSBORN & HIS CLASSIC III: Wine, Wine, Wine/ RUDY OWEN WITH THE RAVENS: Pretty Linda/ LARRY O’ KEEFE: Rolling Stone/ CHARLIE PACK & THE ORIGINALS: Fluffy Dog/ THE PASSIONS: Mercy, Little Baby/ MARVIN PAUL: None Of Your Business/ CARROLL (WILD RED) PEGUES: Don't Monkey With Somebody Else's Monkey/ Rhythm Feet/ HARRY PEPPEL & HIS SHENANDOAH VALLEY RANGERS: Thermostat Baby/ MIKE PETTIT & THE STAGS: It's A Reamer/ DON PHILLIPS WITH BILL DORTON: Milk Shake Mademoiselle/ CURLEY RASH & HIS SOUTH TEXAS PLAYBOYS: Bubble Gum Boogie/ GENE RAY: Rock & Roll Fever/ I'm Going To Hollywood/ THE REL-YEA'S: Country Boy/ Good, Good Lovin'/ Round Rock Boogie/ The Rugged Rock/ JO ANN REYNOLDS: Ring A Ding Dong Dandy/ WES REYNOLDS: Forty Days/ DARRELL RHODES: I Thought About You/ Lou Lou/ Runnin' And Chasin'/ Four O'Clock Baby/ RICHIE RICHARDSON WITH CHARLIE CUEVAS & THE JAG: The Jump/ JOE RICHIE: Across The Bay/ COOKIE ROBERTS: Draggin' The Drive-inn's/ THE ROCK 'N' ROLLERS (VCL KEITH MCCORMACK): For You/ WELDON ROGERS & WANDA WOLFE: Everybody Wants You/ DANNY ROLAND: Shockwave/ LEE ROSE: I've Got The Downhearted Blues/ DANNY ROSS: Look At You Go/ THE ROYAL LANCERS: Is This The Place/ IRVIN RUSS: Crazy Alligator/ MIKE SANCHEZ & THE ROCK-A-TONES: Wicked/ DUANE SCHURB: Rolly Polly/ WAYLAND SEALS: Oil Patch Blues/ When I'm Gone/ SONNY SHEATHER & THE STARDUSTERS: Orbit With Me/ BOBBY SIKES & THE RHYTHM REBELS: Rolling Stone/ ROYCE SIMPSON: Space Dance/ DONALD SIMPSON & THE ROCKENETTES: Save Me Your Love/ ROY SINGER: Could You Loan Me Five/ BOB SMITH & HIS BOBCATS: Honky Tonkin Baby/ DAYTON SMITH & THE ROVING WARRIORS: What Will The Answer Be/ BETTY SMITH WITH JOHNNY MAXWELL & THE RHYTHMMA: What Makes This Old World Go Round/ Yeah, Baby/ KIRBY ST. ROMAIN: Oh Baby Doll/ DARRELL STADTLER & THE PADDLEWHEELS: I' ll Never Get Rich/ THE STAR CHIEF'S: Blast Off/ THE STAR COMBO: Mister Rock & Roll/ THE STARFIRES: Everywhere I Go/ SID STARR & THE ESCORTS: For You/ BOB STEFFEK & THE FALCONS: Wild Woody/ CLAYTON DALE STEPP: Baby Let's Think Of Love/ I'm Still Loving You/ CARL STEVENS: Hillbilly Man/ RAY STONE: China Doll/ RAY STRONG: You're Gonna Reap What You Sow/ THE SUNDOWNERS: Live It Up/ SUNNY & THE SUN-GLOWS: Up Town/ THE TAMPELLAS: I Love Girls/ WILD BILL TAYLOR & THE CLEFS: Little Jewell/ BILLY TAYLOR & THE TEAR DROPS: Wombie Zombie/ GENE TERRY & HIS KOOL KATS: The Woman I Love/ Tip, Tap And Tell Me/ BASHFUL VIC THOMAS & WESTERN RHYTHMAIRES: Rock and Roll Tonight/ BOBBY TIDWELL & KIAMICHI MT. BOYS: Cherokee Stomp/ BILLY TIDWELL & THE CHIVELLS: Folsom Prison Blues/ TOMMIE TOLLESON: Carla Blues/ The Gulf Coast Twist/ Black Lights/ TOMMY TRENT: A Mile To The Mailbox/ Just For Tonight/ KENNETH TRENT & THE CONTINENTALS: I'm In Love/ The Way I Feel About You/ THE TUNE MASTERS: Down The Line/ Mad Twistin' Fever/ AL TURNAGE & THE TURNPIKES: Hollywood Rock/ THE TWISTERS: Bandstand Rocket/ Countdown 1-2-3/ Mean Mean Woman/ Speed Limit/ BERNIE VALE: She's Gone, Gone/ BLACKY VALE: If I Had Me A Woman/ THE VELVETS: Wild Little Willy/ DAN VIRVA & THE FLYING "D" RAMBLERS: Duck Tail Cat/ HANK WALKER: Reckless Romance/ WALTON & THE SILVER LAKE BOYS: Man, What A Party/ JOHNNY WATSON: Come To The Party/ BUDDY WAYNE & THE VI- DELLS: The Road Runner/ BUDDY WAYNE & THE VI-DELLS: What Made Maggie Run/ GERALD WELLS & THE TORQUAY'S: Come On/ THE WESTERN SWINGSTERS (VCL BENNIE HATFIELD): Forgetting The Blues/ LARRY WHEELER & BAND: Cry Woman Cry/ COYE WILCOX: You Gotta Quit Cheatin'/ ROCKY WILLIAMS: Rock Cinderella/ SKEET WILLIAMS & BOB HALTON’ SWING KINGS: Mary, Mary, Mary Jane/ RON WILLIAMS & THE CUSTOMS: Sue Sue Baby/ JOHNNY WILSON: Twi-light Zone/ JIM WORLEY: Hard Hat/ GEORGE WORMINGTON: Hours With The Owls/ EARL WRIGHT & TEXAS OLDTIMERS: Married Man Blues/ FRANCIS ZAMBON & THE NATURALS: Our Love Will Last/ THE ZIRCONS: Crazy Crazy/ PAUL ZUMA: Our Love Will Last

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS BE! Sharp 6068 The Michigan Box ● CD $209.98
10 CDs with 208 page hard cover book, 331 tracks, very highly recommended
Unlike in Texas much of Michigan's recording was concentrated in more urban areas and rockabilly isn't quite as prominent though it's certainly present but we also have a lot of hot rock 'n' roll, hot rod music, rocking instrumentals and some rhythm & blues tracks . Among the many labels featured are American Artist, Blue Chip, Caron, Clix, Comma Records, Doll Records, Fortune Records, Hyland and many others. Artists include Lafayette Yarbrough, The Blue Echoes, Ray Taylor, Danny Zella, The Mysterions, The Flamethrowers (an appropriately named instrumental group whose tracks are really incendiary), The Continentals, Vic Gallon, The Lyonaires and many, many more. As with the first set the book is incredible including 30 pages devoted to Jack Brown's important Fortune and Hi-Q labels. Although the music on the set doesn't really cover blues and R&B the book includes a superb six page profile of important African-American producer Joe Von Battle. Another class production all the way! Up next will be a box set devoted to Florida. A full track list can be found on our web site or we can send info via email or snail mail. Counts as 36 CDs for shipping purposes. (FS)
NORM ALLEN & THE RENEGATES: Baby, What's A Matter With You/ Just One Womans Man/ RON ALLERS & HIS RHYTHM MASTERS: Heartless Woman/ ANGIE & THE MONOCO'S: Sad As I Can Be/ GLYNN ARCHER & THE BOWMAN'S: Sooner/ DICK ARMSTRONG: I Wanta Go Steady With You/ THE ATLANTICS: Heartburn/ Monkey Tree/ JIM BAGLEY & THE COUNTRY FOUR: Come On In/ VIRGIL BAKER: Oohee Wee Your Sweet/ DICK BARRON & THE JUMPING JACKS: Miss Ann/ BOBBY BERNELL: Move Over Big Dog (Let A Little Dog In)/ DENNIS BICE & THE RHYTHM RIDERS: Jogger/ BIG DADDY G: Big Berry (Boss Man Guitar)/ THE BLAZERS: Graveyard/ THE BLUE ECHOES: Cool Guitar/ It's Witchcraft/ O'Misery/ Rebel Train/ Tossin' And Turnin'/ BOB & HIS NEPTUNES: Night Street/ BOB & THE BANDITS: I'm Gonna Stop Cryin'/ BOB & THE ROCKBILLIES: Baby Why Did You Have To Go/ Your Kind Of Love/ BOBBY BOND & THE BANDITS: Sweet Love/ THE BOSSMEN: Help Me Baby/ AUBREY BRADFORD WITH BRAD'S ORCHESTRA: Get Your Feet On The Floor/ PAL BRADY: More Lovin'/ PALFORD BRADY: L-O-V-E/ GEORGE BRADY & THE KINGSMEN: Tell Me! Why?/ JOHNNY BUCKETT: Griddle Greasin' Daddy/ Griddle Greasin' Daddy/ Let Me Play With Your Poodle/ Hippie In A Blunder/ JIM BULLINGTON: Love Bug Crawl/ AL BURNETTE & HIS SOUTHERN SWINGSTERS: Humpty Dumpty/ Lookie Here, Baby/ JACKIE CARBONE WITH EDDIE BARTEL & ORCHESTRA: Jam-Up/ JIMMY CARROLL: Big Green Car/ TOM CARTER & THE RAMRODS: Flyin' Saucer Twist/ Twistin' Boogie/ THE CATALINAS: Destruction/ Long Walk/ THE CHANTELLS: Long Tall Sally/ Rockin' Revelie/ EARL CHATMAN: Loving You Baby/ Take Two Steps Back/ CHEROKEE CHIEF: Mean And Evil Blues/ Little Mama Twist/ THE CIMBALAS: Crazy Tom/ JIMMIE CLICK: Polecat Hollow/ THE CONTINENTAL FOUR: Jack the Ripper/ Scramble/ THE COUNTRY MISFITS: Hello There Mister/ MAX CULLER: Mr. Johnson/ Saturday Night At Purser's Bar/ PETE CUMMINS & THE REDEEMERS FOUR: In The Middle (Of The Night)/ The Surfin' Freeze/ CURLY DAN & WILMA ANN & THE DANVILLE MT.: North On 23/ CURLY DAN & WILMA ANN WITH DANVILLE MT.: South On No. 23/ THE D&S WILDCATS: Wildcaten/ THE D-NOTES: Ballin' Wire/ CURLY DAN & WILMA ANN AND THE DANVILLE MT. BOY: Mixed Up Life/ DANNY & THE GALAXIES: Ad Lib/ If You Want To Be My Baby/ DANNY & THE NITRO-NOTES: International Whirl/ CAL DAVIS & HIS TENNESSEE KINGS: Partnership Love Affair/ PETE DE BREE & THE WANDERERS: Hey, Mr. Presley/ Long Tall Lou/ My Bucket's Got A Hole In It/ BOBBY DEE & THE CRESTLINERS: Graveyard Twist/ Jerry's Twist/ DEAN O DELRAY & HIS DELRAYS: Ballad Of Billy The Kid/ Lucky Star/ THE DELTRONS: Tonya/ CHUCK DOCKERY & THE FOUR BUDDIES: Nashville, Tennessee/ Rock While We Ride/ GRANT DOOM: See How Ya Are/ DWIGHT DOUGLAS & THE JAYHAWKERS: Interstate 45/ RUSTY DUNN WITH WAYNE ROBERTS & THE COUNTRYMEN: Production Line/ CONNIE DYCUS: I Could Shoot Myself (If I Wasn' t Afraid Of A Gun)/ THE DYNAMITES: Dynamite/ Rosie Lee/ THE EGYPTIANS: Inkster Boogie/ The Party Stomp/ Twin Spin/ THE EMANONS: Stomper/ THE EPITONES: Epitone Twist/ The Mighty Rumble/ EVERT & THE GOLDEN STRINGS QUARTET: I Have Found The Way/ THE E’LITES: What Are We Gonne Call It? You Got Me!/ THE FALCONS & ORCHESTRA: Sent Up/ FRED FARRAH WITH THE HITCH-HIKERS: Settle Down/ THE FERROS WITH NICK & HIS JAGUARS: Tough Cat/ THE FINETONES, INC.: Short Circuit/ The Big "G"/ THE FLAMETHROWERS: Intensity/ Suzette/ The Knights Caper/ Whippy Wow/ FLAT TOP'S RABBLE ROUSERS (VCL NORM CHIL: Coverup/ THE FLINTALES: D-Rail/ Flintales Rock/ FRANKIE & THE TEENTONES: Told You Little Baby/ JOHNNY FRAZER & THE REGAL-AIRES: Rock With The Mambo/ FRIAR & HIS HILLBILLY HICKS: Joe's Mandolin Boogie/ HUGH FRIAR & VIRGINIA VAGABONDS: Empty Arms/ I Can't Stay Mad At You/ SHORTY FROG & HIS SPACE CATS: I'm Glad We Didn't Say Goodbye/ Sheddin' Tears Over You/ THE FUGITIVES: On Trial/ VIC GALLON: I'm Gone/ THE GARDENIAS (TEMPOS): I'm Laughing At You/ JIMMY GARTIN & HIS BAD CATS: Honey Won't You Love Me/ JIMMY GARTIN WITH THE HIGHLANDERS: Gonna Ride That Satelite/ BOOTS GILBERT & BOB SYKES WITH CHUCK HATFIELD: Take It Or Leave It/ BOOTS GILBERT WITH CHUCK HATFIELD & THE TREBLE: Man! Turn Me Loose/ PETE GOBLE & BILLY GILL WITH THE KENTUCKY REB: Cherokee/ Columbus/ BOBBY GOOD: Crawl Back/ B. GOODE & BAND: Ho Key Po Key Rock/ Sabotage/ THE GOSPEL TRAVELERS: Spiritual Ladder/ FORREST GREEN & THE RANGERS: Poverty/ THOMAS GREEN WITH TENNESSE TOM & HIS RHYTHM BOY: I'd Rather Make Love/ JOHNNY GUITAR & THE RHYTHM-AIRES: Zaragoza/ JIM HALL & HIS RADIO PALS: Seventh Heaven/ DAVE HAMILTON & HIS PEPPERS: Cooter Bug/ FRANK HAMMAC: World Of Pleasure/ HAROLD L. & THE OFFBEATS: Connie/ Three Years/ BOB HARRIS & THE KINGS FOUR: Bertha Lou/ NICK HARRIS & THE SOUNDBARRIERS: Big Nick/ LUM HATCHER: White Lightning ‘n Excess/ KATHY HAWK: Rocket To The Moon/ JIMMY HAYES WITH THE CAMEY RIDGE RAMBLERS: Tom Cat Boogie/ THE HESITATIONS: Wild Little Willie/ HICKS & HIS SOUTHERNEERS: Sugar Coated Lies/ BILL HICKS & THE SOUTHERNEERS: Blue Flame/ She's Done Gone/ BRIAN HOLLAND WITH THE BAND: Shock/ THE HOUND DOGS: Hound Dog Boogie/ LLOYD HOWELL: Froggy/ My Babys Gone/ THE HUNT SISTERS: I'm Not Gonna Take It Anymore/ Elvis Is Rocking Again/ THE HURON VALLEY BOY'S: When It's Judgement Day/ JACK & JILL: It's All Over Now/ EDDIE JACKSON: Blues I Can't Hide/ JIMMY JACKSON: Never Tell A Lie/ EDDIE JACKSON & HIS SWINGSTERS: Rock And Roll Baby/ EDDIE JACKSON'S SWINGSTERS: Baby Doll/ JAMES WITH WALTER ATKINS & HIS HOMOTONES: Baby Let's Rock/ Ride That Train/ EDDY JANSON & THE VAN DELLS: What I Say/ JOHN J.: Shotgun Weddin/ JOHNNY & THE DRIFTERS: Rimshot/ DENNY JORDEN WITH THE FORTUNEAIRES: You'll Be Lonely/ FREEMAN KEITH: Ugly Duckling/ ROY KELLY: Rock And Roll Rock/ KING: I'm Gonna Be A Wheel Someday/ DAVE KIRK & THE CANDY MEN: Oh! Baby/ ELLIS KIRK & THE TOWN AND COUNTRY BOYS: Flamingo Rock/ Sweetie Pie/ JIMMY KIRKLAND WITH STAN GETZ & TOM CATS: Come On Baby/ I Wonder If You Wonder/ KENNY LANE & HIS BULL DOGS: Columbus Stockade Blues/ Froggy Went A Courtin'/ THE LAPELS: Bad Luck/ KENNY LAYNE: Joann/ JIMMY LEE: Baby, Baby, Baby/ She's Gone/ You Ain't No Good For Me/ BILLY LEE & THE RAMBLERS: Trav'lin/ LENNY & THE THUNDERTONES: Homicidal/ Thunder Express/ JUDY LEONARD WITH ARNOLD PATTON & JACK MOLLET: Act Like A Man/ THE LINCOLN TRIO: Shake Down/ LITTLE MAC & THE BRAVADOES: Cinderalla/ Dance Baby (With Me)/ THE LOW-ROCKS: Snooker/ PATTI LYNN: Same Old Blues/ THE LYONAIRES: Why You Been Gone So Long/ CHUCK MANN: Little Miss Muffet/ CHUBBY MARTIN: Soul Salesman/ CARL MARTIN TRIO: Ain't No Grave Gonna Hold My Body Down/ CURLY DAN & JIM MAYNARD WITH THE DANVILLE MOUNTAIN TRIO: I Flubbed My Dub/ You'll Be The One To Cry/ KEN MCWILLIAMS & THE TWI-LIGHTERS: Devil On Death Highway/ THE MEDALLIONS: Blowin' Throught Yokahama (Part 1)/ Blowin' Throught Yokahama (Part 2)/ THE MILLIONAIRES: Arkansas Jane/ FRANK MONDAY & THE STEPPERS: Stepping/ ROY MOSS WITH CLIFF ALLEN'S BAND: Wiggle Walkin' Baby/ Yes Juanita's Mine/ MR. BIG & THE LITTLEMEN: Something Else/ JIMMIE MURPHY: There's No Use In Me Loving You/ JIM MYERS & HIS GEMS: J & D Hop/ Oh! Baby Baby/ JIMMY MYERS & HIS HAPPY HIGHWAY GANG: Ding Dong Mama From Tennessee/ Drunk Man's Wiggle/ JIM MYERS & TEX REGAN WITH JIM MYERS & HIS G: Pretty Baby Rock/ THE MYSTERIONS: Amnesia/ Down Hill/ Transylvania/ THE NEUTRONS: Cut-Out/ NICK & THE JAGUARS: Cool And Crazy/ Ich-I-Bon # 1/ NINO: Rabby Baby/ THE NITE SOUNDS: Cheese Cake/ GENE NITZ & THE W. VA. RAMBLERS: I Don't Know What I'm Looking For/ FORD NIX & THE MOONSHINERS: Ain't No Sign I Woudn't If I Could/ Nine Times Out Of Ten/ KEITH O'MALLEY: Turned Out (Alvera)/ RON OUDERKIRK: My Kind Of Woman/ KENNY OWENS: Come Back Baby/ Frog Man Hop/ PAUL & LARRY: Just A Cheater/ HOWARD PERKINS: Double Clutchin' Man/ My Maw Didn't Raise No Fool/ Under Control/ THE PHAETONS: Fling/ THE PLEASANT VALLEY BOYS: Highway To Heaven/ THE PRINCETONS FIVE: Deadman/ Goin' Nowhere/ Roll Over Beethoven/ THE QUINTET PLUS: Grits 'n Grease/ DON RADER: Rock And Roll Grandpap/ Rockin' The Blues/ THE RAMBLERS: Buzzin' Bee/ BARRY RAY: Something From The Twilight Zone/ Twilight Zone/ ROY RECTOR: Heard The Back Door Slam/ I Didn't Know I Loved You/ THE REGAL-AIRES: It/ THE RENEGADES V: Wine, Wine, Wine/ THE RHYTHM ROCKERS (VOCAL LEON JAMES): Thinkin' About You/ THE RICHARD BROTHERS: Drunk Driver's Coming/ Stolen Property/ DON RICHARDS: Traffic Jam/ DANNY RICHARDS & THE COUNTRY RHYTHM BOYS: One Way Tickets To Tennessee/ You Can't Stop Me From Loving You/ THE RIM SHOTS: The Native Dance/ WAYNE ROBERTS & THE COUNTRYMEN: Stomping Ground/ KELLY ROGERS & JOYCE SINGO: Raindrops/ RICK ROLL & THE AURORAS: To The Dancing Party/ THE ROYAL JOKERS: I Don't Like You That Much/ THE ROYAL PLAYBOYS: Goodbye Bo/ FOREST RYE WITH STRING BAND: Wild Cat Boogie/ THE SABRES: Bomp Bomp/ Bounty Hunter/ Rustler/ THE SAHARAS: They Play It Wild/ THE SALYERS: Extra Boyfriends/ THE SCAVENGERS: Curfue/ JERRY SCHAFER & THE JACKS AND JILLS: Slave Driver/ BILLY SHARPE & HIS SHARPTONES: Hippitty Hop/ RUFUS SHOFFNER & JOYCE SONGER: Every Little Raindrop/ It Always Happens To Me/ Orbit Twist/ RUFUS SHOFFNER & SPEEDY RODGERS: Lovelight/ B. SISCO & THE MELO-DAIRES: I'll Find You/ CHUCK SLAUGHTER WITH BUDDY RAY & THE SHAMROCKS: Lucky 11 Rock/ BOBBY SMITH: Bevy Mae/ She's Gone From Me/ MEL SMITH: They Call Me Shadrach/ FLOYD SMITH WITH THE MONTCLAIRS: Granpa's Gully Rock/ THE SOCIETY: Nicotine Fit/ EARL SONGER & HIS ROCKY ROAD RAMBLERS: Mother-In-Law Boogie/ EDDIE STAPLETON: Well I'm Weak/ THE STARLIGHTERS: Cindy Lee/ Wicked Ruby/ NOLAN STRONG & THE DIABLOS: Try Me One More Time/ BILL SWAIN: Renfro Valley Home/ THE SWING KINGS: Just Fooling Around/ The Bug/ RAY TAYLOR & ALABAMA PALS: Clocking My Card/ Connie Lou/ My Hamtramck Baby/ RAY TAYLOR WITH THE ALABAMA PALS: I'll Never Let You Weary My Mind Any More/ THE TEEN TONES: Jumping/ THE TEMPOS: It's Tough/ Sham-Rock/ BARBARA TENNANT WITH THE BAND OF HINDLE BUTTS: Rock, Baby, Rock/ THE TENNESSEE HARMONY BOYS: I'm A Millionaire/ THE TERRIGAN BROTHERS WITH THE STERLINGS: Hi Ho Little Girl/ THE THREE RAMBLERS (VCL JERALD BOYKIN): If You Call That Love/ Walking, Talking Babydoll/ THE THUNDER ROCKS: Johnny Sax/ Oh, My Linda/ Warpath/ What's The Word/ THE TIKIS: Rock-N-Robin/ TINO & THE REVLONS: Rave On/ TOM & THE TORNADOES: Long Pony Tail/ THE TORQUAYS: Busting Point/ The Other Side/ THE TREBLEMAKERS: Spartan Stomp/ THE TREMOLONS: Whole Lot Of Shaking Going On/ ERNEST TUCKER & TED WALKER ORCH.: Too Small To Dance/ LITTLE ERNEST TUCKER & TED WALKER ORCH.: Gonna Get Me A Satellite/ BUSTER TURNER & HIS PINNACLE MT. BOYS: That Old Heartbreak Express/ BUTCH VADEN & THE NITE SOUNDS: The Roll/ THE VALIANTS: Wild Party/ DELL VAUGHN WITH THE FORTUNE AIRES: Rock The Universe/ THE VULCANS: Jambo/ Shimmy Shuffle/ JOHN WACKER: Hallelujah Side/ WADE & THE NATIONALS: Butterfly/ CLARENCE WALTON & WALTON BROTHERS BAND: The Cat/ JIMMY WAYNE & THE GALAXIES: You Shake Me/ THE WHIRL WIND EVANGELISTS: No Grave/ FARRIS WILDER & HIS BAND: It's All Your Fault/ THE WILDWOOD PLAYBOYS: Wildlife/ JIMMY & RUSS WILLIAMS: High On The Hog/ JIMMY WILLIAMS & THE DRIFTERS: If You Could Love Me/ Teardrops And Memories/ ROXIE WILLIAMS WITH BUDDY RAY & THE SHAMROCKS: Fifteen Seconds/ ANDRE (BACON FAT) WILLIAMS WITH THE INSPIRATIONS: I Still Love You/ HANK WINTERS: Honeymoon Express/ LAFAYETTE YARBOROUGH: Cool Cool Baby/ Livin' Doll/ GEORGE YOUNG, HIS GUITAR & BAND: Buggin' Baby/ Shakin' Shelly/ THE YOUNGSTERS: Zebra/ DANNY ZELLA & HIS ZELL ROCKS: Black Saxs/ Wicked Ruby/ DANNY ZELLA & THE ZELL ROCKS: Sapphire/ DANNY ZELLA'S ROCKERS: Youngster Meets Monster/ FRANK ZOLTON WITH TOWN AND COUNTRY BOYS: Cats Eyes/ ZOOKIE & THE POTENTATES: Bachelors Got It Made/ Telephony

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Document 1103 Jazz And Blues On Edison, Vol. 1 ● CD $15.98 $10.98
18 tracks, 71 mins, recommended
Although Thomas Edison hated jazz and blues he did record a number of very worthwhile titles for his label and this CD reissues 18 tracks recorded between 1920 and 1929. According to the notes these are all unissued but according to the discographies quite a few of these were originally issued - maybe these are alternate takes - if so the almost total lack of discographical information doesn't help. There are some fine sides here from Lopez & Hamilton, The Original Memphis Five, Andy Razaf, Josie Miles, helen Gross & The Kansas City Five, Rosa Henderson (a fine cover of Clara Smith's great Don't Advertise You Man), Elsie Clark (her Loud Speakin' Papa is a real gem with some very clever lyrics), The Georgia Melodians, Clarence Williams & Eva Taylor and more. The music is deserving of a higher rating than I gave it but this set is let down by the mediocre sound with excessive use of noise reduction resulting in a very thin flat sound. Document should take a lesson from the folks at Archeophone who get a better sound out of material that's 20 years older than this! (FS)

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Document DOCD 5036 Backwoods Blues 1926 - 1935 ● CD $15.98 $11.98
24 tracks, very highly recommended
Some ferocious country blues by four obscure but fine country blues singer/ guitarists. There are 13 songs by Alabama street singer Sam Butler or, as he was listed on some discs Bo Weavil Jackson. He was a powerful, if somewhat inexpressive singer, who accompanied himself on strongly picked guitar - sometimes using a slide. Bobby Grant is a very different singer with a deep powerful voice and a more melodic slide guitar style - he only only recorded two songs - both gems. Mississippi singer/ guitarist KIng Solomon Hill has an intense guitar style and highish voice not unlike that of Jackson and, at one time, were thought to be the same person. The set ends with two gorgeous tracks by the wonderful Lane Hardin - a distinctive singer, rhythmic guitar player with some fascinating song lyrics. His California Desert Blues tell us that "Crossing the California Desert is just like breaking the Hindenberg Line" and Hard Time Blues is a topical song about the depression. Wonderful stuff, though not for casual listening. (FS)
BOBBY GRANT: Lonesome Atlanta Blues/ Nappy Head Blues/ LANE HARDIN: California Desert Blues/ Hard Time Blues/ KING SOLOMON HILL: Bended Knee (take 1)/ Down On My/ Down On My Bended Knee (take 2)/ Tell Me Baby/ The Gone Dead Train/ Whoopee Blues (take 2)/ Whoopee Blues (take L)/ BO WEAVIL JACKSON: Christians Fight On, Your Time Ain't Long/ Devil And My Brown Blues/ Heaven Is My View/ I'm On My Way To The Kingdom Land/ Jefferson County Blues/ Jefferson County Blues (alt. Take)/ Pistol Blues/ Poor Boy Blues/ Some Scream High Yellow/ When The Saints Come Marching Home/ Why Do You Moan?/ You Can't Keep No Brown (pm)/ You Can't Keep No Brown (vo)

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Fantastic Voyage 221 Jamaica - Is The Place To Go ● CD $17.98
Two CDs, 48 mins, very highly recommended
Wonderful collection of Jamaican mento music recorded in the 1950s. Starting as a rural dance music using banjo, guitar, fife, maracs and "rumba box" ((a form of bass thumb piano)) mento eventually moved to the cities adding violin, clarinet, saxophone and featured lyrics often humorously commenting on everyday life, sex and cautionary tales. It bears a resemblance to Trinidadian calypso and both islands borrowed songs from each other though mento has a different feel. Ironically, the "craze" for Trinidadian calypso started with a couple of recordings made by Harry Belafonte singing a couple of mento songs and subsequently mento performers often called their groups Calypso bands. Although Trinidadian calypso had been recorded since 1912, it wasn't until 1950 that the first recordings were made of Jamican in London for the Melodisc label. Jamaican entrepreneur Stanley Motta built the first recording studio in Jamaica in the back room of a woodwork factory in 1951 and was shortly followed by Ivan Chin, Ken Khouri and Edward Seaga and over the next half a dozen years several hundred recordings were issued but by the end of the decade the interest in mento was almost non-existent - most young Jamaicans wanted to hear American rhythm & blues which they began to emulate subsequently leading to ska which included some elements of mento. This collection features irresistable performances from the likes of Lord Tanamo & Charlie Binger's Six, Lord Foodoos & His Calypso Band, Count Sticky & His Calypsonians (two great sides - one with an atypical steel guitar solo), Lord Flea & His Calypsonians (the risque Naughty LIttle Flea), Count Owen & His Calypsonians, Trenton Spence Quartet, Laurel Aitken (who was subsequently to become a major figure in ska music), Bertie King with Ernest Raglin, Count Zebra & The Seasiders and many more. Sound quality is generally excellent though some tracks were primitively recorded and there is a 16 page full color booklet with background information as well as information on the artists and labels along with artist photos, label shots and album covers. (FS)

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Frog DGF 80 Memphis Rounders Blues ● CD $18.98
25 tracks, 80 mins, essential
A fantastic collection of country blues recorded by Victor in 1928 and 1929 and featured here in the best ever sound. Many of these tracks come from pristine test pressings and it includes a number of alternate takes that have only previously been reissued in poor quality on Document CDs and a few that have never been reissued befolre. Star of the show is Frank Stokes, a truly superb singer and guitarist, who is featured on ten tracks. Some of these are solo (including an alternate take of his most famous song - the two part 'Tain't Nobody's Business If I Do) and others feature him in the company of Will Batts on fiddle. The album's title track Memphis Rounders Blues is a solo performance and a personal favorite of mine with some truly sublime guitar from Frank. The great Mississippi bluesman Tommy Johnson is featured on both takes of the gorgeous Lonesome Home Blues which was never issued by Victor. The patriarch of Memphis blues, Jim Jackson, is here with five tracks - most of them alternate takes and there are also superb contributions from Charlie Kyle, Will Shade (including two takes of his marvelous Better Leave That Stuff Alone), Minnie Wallace (two fabulous sides accompanied by members of The Memphis Jug Band) and Hattie Hart. Includes a 12 page booklet with informative notes by Paul Swinton and (very hard to read) discographical information. One note - the booklet indicates that ten of the alternate takes are previously unissued but six of them have been reissued by Document and other labels but the sound quality here blows those other reissues away. (FS)
HATTIE HART: Won't You Be Kind To Me?/ JIM JACKSON: I'm Gonna Move To Louisiana – Pt. 1/ I'm Gonna Move To Louisiana – Pt. 2/ I'm Wild About My Lovin'/ This Ain't No Place For Me/ This Morning She Was Gone/ TOMMY JOHNSON: Lonesome Home Blues/ Lonesome Home Blues/ CHARLIE KYLE: Kyle's Worried Blues/ Monkey-Man Blues/ WILL SHADE: Better Leave That Stuff Alone/ Better Leave That Stuff Alone/ She Stabbed Me With An Ice-Pick/ FRANK STOKES: Bunker Hill Blues/ Frank Stokes' Dream/ I'm Going Away Blues/ Memphis Rounders Blues/ Old Sometime Blues/ Right Now Blues/ Shiney Town Blues/ South Memphis Blues/ ‘Tain't Nobody's Business If I Do – Part 1/ ‘Tain't Nobody's Business If I Do – Part 2/ MINNIE WALLACE: Dirty Butter/ The Old Folks Started It

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS JSP JSPCD 77188 Garden City Blues - Detroit's Jumping Scene 1948-1960 ● CD $28.98
Four CDs, 99 tracks, highly recommended
Terrific collection of rare and great Detroit country and down home blues - much of it not originally issued on 78s and more than half making their first appearance on CD. The performances are often raw and raucous and some are from rough acetates and so may not be for the faint of heart! These recordings were made by local entrepreneurs Elmer Barbee, Bernie Bessman and Joe Von Battle. The first disc and half of the second are devoted to Detroit's most well known bluesman - John Lee Hooker. These recordings, made between 1948 and 1953 (along with one from 1960) are John Lee at his rawest and most intense - many featuring just John Lee and his guitar and his stomping foot. It includes his very first recording, the chaotic Rocks recorded in June 1948 - three months before his breakout recording of Boogie Chillun. Many of these tracks were not originally issued and were previously available on the out of print French series "The Complete John Lee Hooker." There are 20 tracks recorded in 1948 for Bernie Bessman by singer/ guitarist Sylvester Cotton. Cotton was a fine singer, a limited but effective guitarist playing a steel bodied guitar and a brilliant lyricist. Cotton's songs were probably improvised on the spot and seem to deal with his own personal experiences culminating in the brilliant I Tried where he talks about his feelings about making a recording. Other remarkable songs include Three Cent Stamp Blues/ Ugly Woman Blues/ Big Chested Mama Blues (who he sometimes refers to as "Big Titty Woman!")/ Sak-Relation Blues (guess what this is about?) / Waitin' Blues and more. Although many of these songs were issued on Ace 869 ("Detroit Dowwnhome Recordings") many of the versions here are alternate takes that were only available on a long our of print Krazy Kat LP. Also recorded by Bessman was Andrew Dunham (Listed on cover and booklet as Alfred Dumham!) who was a fine singer and played some very anarchic and almost dissonant sounding guitar who is featured on 11 tracks - most only previously available on LP. Singer/ guitarist L.C. Green was superb performer - three of his tracks were actually issued by Dot and the fourth was an originally unissued track which is incomplete and in pretty rough shape. There are five tracks from popular Detroit artist Bobo Jenkins recorded between 1955 and '57 - two of them were issued on Fortune and the others were originally unissued. There are seven tracks from John Lee Hooker musical partner Eddie Kirkland - two appear to be previously unissued Bernie Bessman recdordings and the rest were recorded for Lupinre in 1959/ 60 and previously on a deleted Relic album. The set is rounded out with sides by Eddie Burns, Big Jack Reynolds, and James Walton. While the casual listener may find a lot of this rough going the diehard blues fan will find much to love here. (FS)
EDDIE BURNS: Decoration Day Blues/ Gangster Blues/ Grieving Blues/ I Ain't Cheatin'/ I Love To Jump The Boogie/ Making A Fool Out Of Me/ She Keeps Me Guessing/ Sitting Here Wondering/ Squeeze Me Baby/ Sunnyland Blues/ Tavern Lounge Boogie/ Where Did You Stay Last Night/ SYLVESTER COTTON: Big Chested Mama Blues Tk 1/ Big Chested Mama Blues Tk 2/ Brownskin Woman/ Christmas Blues/ Cottonfield Blues/ I Tried/ Pay Day Blues/ Sak-relation Blues/ Single Man Blues/ Stormy Weather Blues/ Stranger In Your Town Tk 1/ Stranger In Your Town Tk 2/ Thanksgiving Blues/ Three Cent Stamp Blues/ Ugly Woman/ Waterlee Blues/ Way Down In Hell/ When I'm Gone Tk 1/ When I'm Gone Tk 2/ Wife Lovin' Blues/ ANDREW DUNHAM: Genevee/ Hattie Mae/ I Found Out/ I Got A Woman/ Little Bitty Woman Tk 1/ Little Bitty Woman Tk 2/ Mae Liza Tk 1/ Mae Liza Tk 2/ Nezeree Blues/ She Left Me/ Sweet Lucy/ L.C. GREEN & SAM KELLY: Little Schoolgirl/ Remember Way Back/ Shine My Light/ When The Sun Was Shining/ JOHN LEE HOOKER: Boogie Awhile/ Boogie Woogie/ Catfish/ Christmas Time Blues/ Cotton Pickin' Boogie/ Down So Long/ Feed Her All Night/ Good Business/ Ground Hog/ Have Mercy On Poor Me/ Highway Blues/ How Long Must I Be Your Slave/ I Came To See You Baby/ I Love To Boogie/ I'm A Boogie Man/ Leavin' Chicago/ Little Boy Blue/ Low Down Boogie/ Mean Old Train/ Mercy Blues/ Miss Pearl Boogie/ Miss Rosie Mae/ Must I Wait Til Your Man Is Gone/ My Baby Left Me/ My Daddy Was A Jockey/ Poor Slim Tk 1/ Poor Slim Tk 2/ Questionnaire Blues/ Real Gone Gal/ Rocks/ Roll Me Baby/ Shake Your Boogie/ Tuesday Evening/ We Gonna Make Everything Alright/ Wednesday Evening Blues/ BOBO JENKINS: Baby Don't You Want To Go/ Decoration Day Blues Tk 1/ Decoration Day Blues Tk 2/ Seasick And Water Bound/ Ten Below Zero/ BIG JACK REYNOLDS: Going Down Slow/ THE RICHARD BROTHERS: Stolen Property/ JAMES WALTON: Eva Lee/ If You Don't Believe I'm Leaving/ Papa Do

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Kent CDKEND 435 Ian Levine's Solid Stax Sensations ● CD $18.98
25 tracks, highly recommended
In 1974, Ian Levine, one of the top DJs in Britain's Northern Soul scene, compiled one of the very first Northern Soul compilations, "Solid Soul Sensations." This original set consisted of tracks exclusively from the Scepter/Wand catalogs; a second volume was planned in 1975 - with tracks from the Roulette catalog-but unfortunately never happened. Now, forty years later, the true Volume Two has finally surfaced; Levine has chosen twenty-five tasty tunes exclusively from the Stax/Volt catalog. Although only one of the tracks is previously unreleased - Sylvia & the Blues Jays' sassy Put Me in the Mood - the joy of hearing these songs is not diminished by their previous availability. The quality of the material here is staggering, indicating what a discerning ear Levine has: a couple of sweet soul ballads from The Rance Allen Group (Ain't No Need of Crying and Gonna Make it Alright); some lovely turns from the ladies (Joni Wilson, Roz Ryan, Margie Joseph, and Barbara Lewis); and some lesser known turns from William Bell ("The Man in the Street"), The T.S.U. Toronadoes (I Still Love You), The Dramatics (Your Love Was Strange), Major Lance (Since I Lost My Baby's Love), and David Porter (If I Give it Up, I Want it Back). With a booklet sporting spiffy liner notes from Levine-giving background on the artists and his reasons for picking the songs-this is a first rate compilation, not just of Northern Soul but of seldom heard gems from a great Soul catalog. (GMC)
RANCE ALLEN: Aint No Need Of Crying/ Gonna Make It Alright/ I Know A Man Who/ WILLIAM BELL: The Man In The Street/ CHARLENE AND THE SOUL SERENADERS: Can You Win/ THE CHEQUES: Cool My Desire/ THE DRAMATICS: Your Love Was Strange/ ILANA: Where Would You Be Today/ MARGIE JOSEPH: One More Chance/ COLLETTE KELLY: City Of Fools/ BARBARA LEWIS: The Stars/ MAJOR LANCE: Since I Lost My Baby's Love/ REGGIE MILNER: Habit Forming Love/ THE NEWCOMERS: The Whole World's A Picture Show/ DAVID PORTER: If I Give It Up, I Want It Back/ PROUD AS PUNCH: If You Look Into My Eyes/ ROZ RYAN: You're My Only Temptation/ THE STINGERS: I Refuse To Be Lonely/ SYLVIA & THE BLUE JAYS: Put Me In The Mood/ ANNETTE THOMAS: Hang On/ PAUL THOMPSON: Special Kind Of Woman/ THE TSU TORONADOES: I Still Love You/ BOBBY WHITLOCK: And I Love You/ JOHN GARY WILLIAMS: (I Believe) The Whole Damn World Is Going Crazy/ JONI WILSON: (Let Hurt Put You In The) Loser's Seat

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Official 2006 Hidden Gems, Vol. 8 - Excello Records ● CD $16.98
24 tracks, highly recommended
This volume features recordings from the early days of Excello before Jay Miller's down home blues recordings dominated the catalog and mostly features artists from around Excello's home base of Nashville. The one exception to this are two tracks by the Chicago group The Blues Rockers featuring Lazy Bill Lucas on vocal and piano, Early Drane on vocal and guitar and P.T. Hayes on harmonica. Both their cuts are amusing and excellent and it's a shame that Hayes's harmonica is undermiked since he seems to be playing some hot stuff. There are four cuts by fine singer, piano and organ player Del Thorne accompanied by a small group with a fine guitarist. Thorne's style is a bit reminiscent of Julia Lee and a couple of her tracks feature ome splendid piano work. There are three cuts by fine blues shouter Little Maxie Bailey including the topical Korean war song Driv Soldier's Drive. Crown Prince Waterford is usually associated with the West Coast and the origin of hius two songs are unknown but they are excellent. Set also includes gospel duo The Boyer Brothers, Roosevelt Lee, Bobby Prince, doowoppers The Peacheroos and more. Another splendid release in this series. (FS)
LITTLE MAXIE BAILEY: Drive Soldiers Drive/ My Baby's Blues/ Tear Drops Are Falling/ THE BLUES ROCKERS: Calling All Cows/ Johnny Mae/ THE BOYER BROTHERS: Nothing Can Change Me/ JOHN CRISTMON: Come With Me My Love/ My Baby's Gone/ GOOD ROCKIN' BEASLEY: Happy Go Lucky/ Long Goody/ TED JARRETT: Goofin' Off/ Love, Love, Love/ ROOSEVELT LEE: I'm So Sad/ Lazy Pete/ THE PEACHEROOS: Be Bop Baby/ Every Day My Love Is True/ BOBBY PRINCE: Please Give Me Your Love/ Too Many Keys/ DEL THORNE & HER TRIO: Down South In Birmingham/ Fly Chick Blues/ Goof Train/ I Let Him Move Me/ CROWN PRINCE WATERFORD: Driftwood Blues/ I'm Gonna Do Right

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Official 12101 Hidden Gems, Vol. 7 - Federal Records ● CD $16.98
24 tracks, 65 mins, highly recommended
Another superb collection of rarities drawn from some of the most significant blues & R&B labels. This one is devoted to the King subsidiary, Federal, and includes many tracks making their first appearance on CD. The set opens with the great Pete "Guitar" Lewis who, in spite of his sobriquet, shows that he's also a dab hand at the harmonica with the lively Harmonica Boogie but doesn't forget his guitar on the superb Raggedy Blues. Pigmeat Petrson is a fine big voiced blues shouter who is featured on two songs including the delightful Everybody Loves A Fat Man. The great alto saxist Preston Love is here with two tracks by his band with fine vocals by Frankie Ervin and the four sides by obscure R&B combo Cecil "Count" Carter features delicious blues/ jazzy violin from Emma "Ginger" Smock. Eleanor Franklin's soulful two parter The Three Men In My Life is another winner. The set also includes fine sides By Jesse Powell, Gene Redd, Little Arthur Matthews and others. Superb sound. (FS)
CECIL "COUNT" CARTER & HIS ORCH.: Ginger Bread/ I Know, I Know/ Strange Blues/ What's Wrong With Me/ FRED CLARK: Ground Hog Snooper/ Walkin' And Wonderin'/ TOMMY DEAN: Just About Right/ ELEANOR FRANKLIN & DANNY KING WITH JOHN ANDERSON: The Three Men In My Life/ QUINTON KIMBLE: I'll Be A Fool For You/ My Mojo And My Lodestone/ PETE "GUITAR" LEWIS: Harmonica Boogie/ Raggedy Blues/ PRESTON LOVE & HIS ORCH. (VCL. FRANK ERVIN): Stay By My Side/ You Got Me Drinking/ LITTLE ARTHUR MATTHEWS: Someday Baby/ PIGMEAT PETERSON: Everybody Loves A Fat Man/ Loud Mouth Lucy/ JESSE POWELL ORCH.: Hot Box/ Rear Bumper/ Leavin' Tonight/ Love To Spare/ GENE REDD: In The Redd/ JIMMY TYLER ORCH.: Callin' All Chickens/ Skeedle-Lum-Bum

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS One Day DAY3CD 053 Songs From The War Years - A Celebration In Music ● CD $13.98 $10.98
Three CD set of songs from the two World Wars that helped comfort the troops in battle and their loved ones at home. The majority of the songs are British songs from World War 2 though there are also songs from the first war as well as American contributions. Includes such classics as Wish Me Luck As You Wave Me Goodbye by Gracie Fields, It's A Long Way To Tipperary by John McCormack, A Nightingale Sang In Berkely Square by Anne Shelton, Roll Out The Barrel by The Rex Massed Bands & Chorus, Bless 'em All by Georege Formby, Paintig The Clouds With Sunshine by Jack Hylton, In The Quartermaster's Store by Tommy Handley, Comin' In On A Wing And A Prayer by Ambrose & His Orchestra, Mademoiselle From Armentiers by Jack Charman and many others including, of course, We'll Meet Again by Vera Lynn - probably the most famous one of them all.
AMBROSE & HIS ORCHESTRA (WITH ANNE SHELT: Comin' In On A Wing And A Prayer/ LALE ANDERSEN: Lili Marlene/ THE ANDREWS SISTERS: Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree/ Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny! Oh!/ NORA BAYES: Over There/ AL BOWLLY: Goodnight Sweetheart/ SAM BROWN: The Sun Has Got His Hat On/ JACK CHARMAN: Mademoiselle From Armentieres/ BILLY COTTON & HIS BAND: I've Got Sixpence/ Kiss Me Goodnight Sergeant Major/ COURTLAND & JEFFRIES: Goodbye-Ee/ Oh! It's A Lovely War/ BEBE DANIELS & BEN LYON: There's A Boy Coming Home On Leave/ BETTY DRIVER WITH HARRY ROY'S ORCHESTRA: The World Will Sing Again/ HARRY FAY: How Ya Gonna Keep 'Em Down On The Farm/ GRACIE FIELDS: Sing As We Go/ Wish Me Luck As You Wave Me Goodbye/ ARTHUR FIELDS & THE PEERLESS QUARTET: Good Morning, Mr. Zip-Zip-Zip/ FLANAGAN & ALLEN: (We're Gonna Hang) The Washing On The Siegfried Line/ Down Forget-Me-Not Lane/ Run, Rabbit, Run/ GEORGE FORMBY: Bless 'Em All/ Mr Wu's An Air Raid Warden Now/ NAT GONELLA & HIS GEORGIANS: Hey Little Hen/ BINNIE HALE: A Nice Cup Of Tea/ TOMMY HANDLEY: In The Quartermaster's Stores/ CHARLES H. HART: It's Time For Every Boy To Be A Soldier/ MORTON HARVEY: I Didn't Raise My Boy To Be A Soldier/ DICK HAYMES: You'll Never Know/ JACK HYLTON: Painting The Clouds With Sunshine/ THE INK SPOTS: I'll Get By/ Whispering Grass (Don't Tell The Trees)/ AL JOLSON: I've Got My Captain Working For Me Now/ KAY KYSER & HIS ORCHESTRA: Praise The Lord And Pass The Ammunition/ HARRY LAUDER: The Laddies Who Fought And Won/ TED LEWIS: Roses Of Picardy/ JOE LOSS & HIS ORCHESTRA (WITH SAM BROWNE): The Spitfire Song/ VERA LYNN: Be Like The Kettle…/ The White Cliffs Of Dover/ We'll Meet Again/ Yours/ JOHN MCCORMACK: It's A Long Way To Tipperary/ Keep The Home Fires Burning/ The Sunshine Of Your Smile/ GLENN MILLER: American Patrol/ VAUGHN MONROE: When The Light Go On Again (All Over The World)/ BILL MURRAY: Sister Susie's Sewing Shirts For Soldiers/ DONALD PEERS: The Homecoming Waltz/ ALFRED PICCAVER: There'll Always Be An England/ ELLA RETFORD: Take Me Back To Dear Old Blighty/ THE REX MASSED BANDS: Roll Out The Barrel/ HARRY ROY: This Is The Army, Mister Brown/ They Can't Black Out The Moon/ When They Sound The Last…/ PRIMO SCALA: Roll Me Over/ ANNE SHELTON: A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square/ I'll Be Seeing You/ ELIZABETH SPENCER AND CHARLES HART: Let The Rest Of The World Go By/ REINALD WERRENRATH: Pack Up Your Troubles In Your Old Kit Bag/ ANNA WHEATON & JAMES HARROD: Till The Clouds Roll By

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Proper BOX 146 Rare Rock 'n' Roll Rampage ● CD $26.98 $16.98
Four CDs, 100 tracks, highly recommended
Although there are quite a few collections out there that look at early rock 'n' roll from the perspective of rockabilly - that Southern blend of supercharged down home blues and honky tonk hillbilly this is the first in-depth look at the early days of urban rock 'n' roll. Apart from Boyd Bennet and the Rockets most of the artists here show very little hillbilly influence and the roots are the jump blues of artists like Louis Jordan and Jimmy Preston along with elements of pop and jazz thrown into the mix. The set opens with two tracks from 1951 by the remarkable Jimmmy Cavello & His Rockers. Cavello was a fine singer and dynamite sax player and was one of the earliest white artists to perform jump R&B and these early sides include covers of tunes by Joe Morris and Jimmy Preston along with his own meaningful Leave Married Women Alone. The rest of the set draws from the period 1953 to 1957 and features several more fine sides by Cavallo though some are more geared towards a teen audience. The set features a fair proportion of sides recorded by the superb Boyd Bennett & His Rockets who were one of the best bands working in the pop rock genre in the 50's. They started off in a Bill Haley vein but rock a lot harder on their best stuff, probably due to their rubbing shoulders with all of those R&B greats at King records. Their repertoire includes a mix of originals and R&B and rock 'n' roll covers. Freddie Bell were a pioneering rock 'n' roll group in Philadelphia starting with the obscure Teen label before moving to Mercury. Although having no U.S. hits they made some fine music though occasionally strayed into teen pap. They were among the first white artists to cover Hound Dog and seeing them live led to Elvis recording the songs. This set includes their original 1955 Teen recording of Hound Dog along with their 1956 remake for Mercury. Some of their later sides feature the stellar guitar playing of Mickey Baker. There are 11 tracks by Jimmy Daley and The Ding-A-Lings but don't go looking for any biographicalinformation on Daley as he was a fictional character from the movie "Rock Pretty Baby" but Decca went ahead and issued an album from the movie as by Jimmy Daley & The Ding-A-Lings - the Ding-A-Lings were actually the Henry Macini Orchestra! Other artists include The Treniers, Dave Appel & The Applejacks (a pretty bland group), Rusty Draper, Eddie Fontaine, Joe Bennett & The Sparkletones (a fine, more rockabilly flavored group), Paul Hampton and others. Sound quality is superb and the 44 page booklet has extensive notes by Adam Komorowski and full discographical info. (FS)
DAVE APPELL & THE APPLEJACKS: Applejack/ Country Dance/ Ooh, Baby, Ooh/ Ring Around My Baby/ Sweet Patootie Pie/ Teenage Meeting (Gonna Rock It Up Right)/ The Love Express/ The Rock And Roll Story/ FREDDIE BELL & THE BELL BOYS: All Right, Okay, You Win/ Big Bad Wolf/ Five-Ten-Fifteen Hours/ Giddy Up A Ding Dong/ Hey There You/ Hound Dog/ Hound Dog/ I Said It And I'm Glad/ Move Me Baby/ Rockin' Is My Business/ Rockin' The Polonaise/ Rompin' And Stompin'/ Stay Loose, Mother Goose/ Take The First Train Out Of Town/ Teach You To Rock/ The Hucklebuck/ Voo Doo/ BOYD BENNETT: Blue Suede Shoes/ Cool Disc Jockey/ Dig Like You've Never Dug/ Hit That Jive Jack/ The Most/ Right Around The Corner/ Seventeen/ Tenessee Rock 'N' Roll/ Banjo Rock 'N' Roll/ Boogie At Midnight/ High School Hop/ Little Ole You/ My Boy Flat Top/ Oo-Oo-Oo/ Partners For Life/ Poison Ivy/ Rockin' Up A Storm/ You Upset Me Baby/ JOE BENNETT & THE SPARKTONES: Black Slacks/ Boppin Rock Boogie/ Penny Loafers And Bobby Socks/ Rocket/ FRANKIE BRENT: Be My Girl/ Rockin' Shoes/ JIMMY CAVALLO: Cherry Pie/ Foot Stompin'/ Ha Ha Ha Blues/ I'm With You/ Leave Married Women Alone/ Let 'M Roll/ Ooh-Wee (You Sure Look To Me)/ Rock The Joint/ Rock, Rock, Rock/ Soda Shoppe Rock/ That's The Groovy Thing/ The Big Beat/ THE CUES: Crackerjack/ Crazy Crazy Party/ JIMMY DALEY: Big Band Rock 'N' Roll/ Can I Steal A Little Love/ Dark Blue/ Hot Rod/ Juke Box Rock/ Rock Pretty Baby/ Rockabye Lullabye Blues/ Rockin' The Boogie/ Teen Age Bop/ The Most/ The Saint's Rock 'N' Roll/ DANNY & THE JUNIORS: At The Hop/ Sometimes/ RUSTY DRAPER: Buzz Buzz Buzz/ No Huhu/ Pink Cadillac/ Tiger Lilly/ EDDIE FONTAINE: Cool It Baby/ Hey Marie! Dance With Me/ Honky Tonk Man/ One And Only/ Rock Love/ PAUL HAMPTON: Classy Babe/ Play It Cool/ Rockin' Doll/ BOB JAXON: Beach Party/ Come On Down/ I'm Hangin' Around/ THE TRENIERS: Bald Head/ Good Rockin' Tonight/ Rock 'N' Roll Call/ Rock-A-Beatin' Boogie/ Say Hey/ BIG T. TYLER: King Kong/ KIP TYLER: Bongo Rock/ How's About A Little Kiss/ Red Lips And Green Eyes

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Rockbeat 3305 The Super Rare Doo Wop Box ● CD $59.98
From the same compilers that put together the three highly acclaimed Doo Wop Boxes for Rhino in the 1990s (sadly, out of print) comes this five CD set with 101 tracks featuring great and incredibly rare doowop. To assemble a collection like this from original 45s you would probably end up having to spend more than $20,000 but here they are for less than $60! It includes the rarest recordings of some of the greatest doowop groups like I Just Can't Tell No Lie and 2:19 Train by The Moonglows, September Song by The Flamingos, These Foolish Things by The Dominoes, Bells Of St. Mary's by Lee Andrews & The Hearts, Loving A Girl Like You by The Harptones and others as well as superb groups that only recorded a handful of sides like The Magic Tones, Bell-Tones, Swans, Lyres, Five Diamonds and others as well as all points in-between. Tracks are presented in chronological order from 1951 through 1963. Sound quality is excellent and set comes in 7"x12" box with a 32 page booklet with notes by Billy Vera plus artist photos and full color label shots.
THE 5 EMBERS: Please Come Home/ THE 5 WILLOWS: Love Bells/ My Dear, Dearest Darling/ LEE ANDREWS & THE HEARTS: Bells of St. Mary's/ THE BALTINEERS: Moments Like This/ THE BELLTONES: Estelle/ JESSE BELVIN: Deacon Dan Tucker/ Dear Heart/ THE CADILLACS: Zoom Boom Zing/ THE CALIFORNIANS: My Angel/ THE CAMELOTS: Your Way/ THE CASANOVAS: I Don't Want You To Go/ THE CASTELLES: Over a Cup of Coffee/ THE CHANDELIERS: Blueberry Sweet/ THE CHARMERS: Tony, My Darling/ THE CHESTNUTS: Love is True/ THE CHIMES: Dearest Darling/ Rosemarie/ THE CONCORDS: Monticello/ THE COPESETICS: Collegian/ THE CORVAIRS: True True Love/ THE CRICKETS: You're Mine/ Your Love/ THE DEBONAIRS: Mother's Son/ THE DEE-CALS: A Wonderful Day/ THE DEL RAYS: One Kiss, One Smile and a Dream/ Our Love is True/ THE DEL VIKINGS: A Sunday Kind of Love/ THE DELTAIRS: Lullabye of the Bells/ THE DEMENS: Take Me As I Am/ THE DIABLOS: Wind, The/ DINO & THE DIPLOMATS: My Dream/ THE DOMINOES: These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You)/ THE DREAMLOVERS: Zoom Zoom Zoom/ THE EARLS: Believe Me, My Love/ THE EBBTIDES: Franny Franny/ THE EL CAPRIS: (Shimmy Shimmy) Ko Ko Wop/ THE FABULONS: Smoke From Your Cigarette/ THE FEATHERS: Johnny Darling/ THE FIVE BELLS: Please Tell It To Me/ THE FIVE BLUE NOTES: My Gal is Gone/ THE FIVE CHANCES: All I Want/ Nagasaki/ THE FIVE DIAMONDS: Ten Commandments of Love/ THE FIVE ECHOES: Lonely Mood/ THE FIVE STARS: We Danced In the Moonlight/ THE FIVE THRILLS: Gloria/ THE FLAMINGOS: September Song/ THE FOUR BUDDIES: Delores/ THE FOUR FELLOWS: In the Rain/ THE HARPTONES: It All Depends On You/ Loving a Girl Like You/ THE HORNETS: I Can't Believe/ THE INSPIRATIONS: Dry Your Eyes/ Maggie/ THE INSPIRATORS: If Loving You is Wrong/ RUSSELL JACQUET & THE HEARTBEATS: Tormented/ THE JETS: Heaven Above Me/ THE KEYNOTES: Really Wish You Were Here/ THE KIDDS: Are You Forgetting Me/ THE KING'S MEN: Don't Say You're Sorry/ THE LADDINS: Did It/ THE LARKS: When I Leave These Prison Walls/ LITTLE JIMMY & THE TOPS: Puppy Love/ THE LYERS: Ship of Love/ LOUIE LYMON & THE TEENCHORDS: Dance Girl/ THE MAGIC-TONES: Good Googa Mooga/ THE MASTER-TONES: Tell Me/ THE MELLO-HARPS: Love is a Vow/ THE MOONGLOWS: 219 Train/ I Just Can't Tell No Lie/ NICKY & THE NOBLES: School Bells/ THE NOBLES: Poor Rock 'N' Roll/ THE ORCHIDS: Newly Wed/ You Said You Loved Me/ THE PELICANS: Aurelia/ Chimes/ THE PLAYBOYS: So Good/ THE PYRAMIDS: And I Need You/ THE RAJAHS: Shifting Sands/ LITTLE BUTCHIE SAUNDERS & THE ELCHORDS: Peppermint Stick/ THE SCARLETS: Love Doll/ THE SCHOOLBOYS: Angel of Love/ THE SEQUINS: Why Can't You Treat Me Right/ THE SOLITAIRES: I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance/ THE STRANGERS: Hoping You'll Understand/ THE STRIDERS WITH SAVANNAH CHURCHILL: Once There Lived a Fool/ NOLAN STRONG & THE DIABLOS: You Are/ THE SWALLOWS: Trust Me/ THE SWANS: Believe In Me/ My True Love/ THE TEAR DROPS: The Stars Are Out Tonight/ THE UNIQUE TEENS: Jeannie/ THE VALENTINES: Tonight Kathleen/ THE VELOURS: Romeo/ THE VELVETS: They Tired/ THE VIBRANAIRES: Doll Face/ THE VOCALTONES: Darling (You Know I Love You)/ Walking With My Baby/ THE WHISPERS: Are You Sorry/ THE WILLOWS: Little Darlin'

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Savoy 17310 Savoy On Central Avenue ● CD $19.98 $11.98
Two CD set with 40 tracks of jazz & R&B featuring some of the great singers and bands that played on Central Avenue in Los Angeles in the 40s and 50s - the center of black nightlife in that city. Drawing on recordings for Savoy and affiliated labels it features recordings by The King Cole Quartet, Kay Starr with the Ben Pollack Orchestra, Johnny Otis & His Orchestra, Slim Gaillard Quartet, Charlie Parker Septet, Russell Jacquet & His Yellow Jackets, Joe Turner, Mary Ann McCall with the Phil Moore Orchestra, Erroll Garner Trio, Dee Williams, Sextette, James Von Streeter, Ike Carpenter Orchestra, Big Jay McNeely, Helen Humes with Marshall Royal & His Orchestra, Red Norvo and others. Newly remastered from original acetates and tape masters it features 12 page booklet with notes by compiler Billy Vera.

 
EDDIE "CLEANHEAD" VINSON Ace CDCHD 877 Bald Headed Blues** ● CD $18.98
26 tracks, highly recommended
The complete King recordings cut between 1949 and 1952 by this distinctive bluesman including a previously unissued (and thought lost) song Sittin' On It All The Time which was later recorded by Wynonie Harris and a previously unissued alternate take of his very popular Person To Person. "Cleanhead" is accompanied by some marvelous bands including sidemen like Eddie `Lockjaw' Davis, Wynton Kelly, Slide Hampton, Milt Larkins, Milt Buckner & others. Includes his 1949 hit Somebody Stole My Cherry Red plus Ashes On My Pillow/ Wineola/ Eddie Bounce/ Featherbed Mama/ Nald Headed Blues/ Peas And Rice/ My Big Brass Bed Is Gone/ If You Don't Think I'm Sinking, etc. Excellent sound and informative notes by Dave Penny. (FS)
EDDIE "CLEANHEAD" VINSON: Ashes On My Pillow/ Bald Headed Blues/ Big Mouth Gal/ Eddie's Bounce/ Featherbed Mama/ Good Bread Alley/ Home Boy/ I Need You Tonight/ I Trusted You Baby (but You Double Crossed Me)/ I'm Gonna Wind Your Clock/ I'm Weak But Willing/ If You Don't Think I'm Sinking (look What A Hole I'm In)/ Jump And Grunt/ Lonesome Train/ My Big Brass Bed Is Gone/ No Good Woman Blues/ Peas And Rice/ People On My Party Line/ Person To Person/ Person To Person (alternative Take)/ Queen Bee Blues/ Rainy Mornin' Blues/ Sittin' On It All The Time/ Somebody Done Stole My Cherry Red/ Time After Time/ Wineola

 
TONY JOE WHITE Salvo/ Rhino 225 Swamp Fox ● CD $21.98
2 CD, 42 tracks, very highly recommended
Back in 2012, I reviewed a Tony Joe White set called "Collected" that was a three disc package that focused mainly on his 90's recordings. In that review, I said that what a music lover unfamiliar with TJW's work needed was a compilation of his Monument/Warner Brothers late 60's/early 70's material. Well, someone must have heard me because this 2 CD set is that compilation. Lovingly put together by Salvo/ Rhino, this is the real deal and a perfect introduction to the "swamp pop" king. Selecting a generous helping of cuts from TJW's first six albums - "Black and White," "Continued," "Tony Joe," "Tony Joe White," "The Train I'm On," and "Home Made Ice Cream" - the compilers manage to give uninitiated a very clear picture of the man's talents. Sure, we get his best known songs, some covered by others - Rainy Night in Georgia/ Soul Francisco/ Polk Salad Annie/ Willie and Laura Mae Jones/ Roosevelt and Ira Lee - but we also get everything from a refreshingly straightforward cover of Jimmy Webb's Wichita Lineman to gorgeous originals like Aspen Colorado/ The Family/ I Just Walked Away, and The Train I'm On. He could also get funky when necessary, as the likes of Stud-Spider/ Save Your Sugar For Me/ Groupy Girl, and Black Panther Swamps demonstrate. Make no mistake about it, Tony Joe White, as songwriter and performer, should be mentioned in the same breath as Gram Parsons and Alex Chilton, and this revelatory and beautiful package should go a long way toward making that happen. (GMC)

 
CLARENCE WILLIAMS Frog DGF 81 Senegalese Stomp ● CD $18.98
29 tracks, highly recommended This, the eighth Frog reissue devoted to the work of pioneering jazz artist Clarence Williams, is a splendid collection of jazz and blues and helps fill in some of the gaps in the previous reissues (Frog 14, 17, 37, 48, 49, 57, 75 - $18.98 each). This set features recordings made for OKeh between 1924 and 1926 by various - many featuring blues or pop vocals by his wife Eva Taylor). The earliest sides featuring his Blue Five include Louis Armstrong and Buster Bailey who left in mmid 1925 to pursue their own careers. Later versions of the Blue Five included Bubber Miley or Tommy Ladnier on trumpet and Otto Hardwick on various saxes. One session includes Eddie South on violin who takes some fine solos on two numbers. The music is vibrant and joyous throughout. All tracks have been newly remastered from best available 78s and sound is vastly superior to any previous reissues of this material. The 12 page booklet gives us detailed information about the recordings. (FS)

 

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